The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said that it would order a recall of cars manufactured by the German automaker Volkswagen if an investigation showed that the design of its direct shift gearbox (DSG) posed a threat to traffic safety.
The ministry’s Department of Highways and Railways said that it has received multiple reports from drivers of Volkswagen cars equipped with DQ-200-model or DQ250-model gearboxes that the vehicles would occasionally lose power while driving or while stationary.
In addition, DQ-200-model gearboxes were reported to have automatically switched to a “limp-home” mode when they reported faults.
Further analyses of information provided by car owners and Volkwagen’s agent in Taiwan to the Vehicle Safety Certification Center (VSCC) showed that 61 reports were related to incidents in which cars lost power while being driven.
Drivers reported 135 incidents in which DSGs switched to the limp-home mode while driving and 453 in which the cars lost power while at a stop.
Department Director-General Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯) said that the reported flaws in the gearboxes were not isolated cases, and the gearbox could pose a threat to drivers and overall road traffic safety.
Flaws were found in several Volkswagen models produced between 2006 and last year, including the Volkswagen Golf, Golf Variant, Jetta, Touran, Scirocco, Polo and Passat, he said.
Chen said that the ministry had requested Volkwagen’s agent in October last year to recall cars equipped with DSGs and make the necessary corrections.
However, the agent only recalled the cars equipped with DQ-200-model DSGs that would switch to limp-home mode when the gearboxes malfunctioned.
Because the agent did not address other issues, the ministry would have to intervene, Chen said.
The ministry is scheduled to complete an investigation of Volkwagen vehicles by the end of June, he said, adding that the results of the investigation will be made public.
If the report concludes that there are safety problems which the automaker needs to address, Chen said that the ministry will order a recall of affected vehicles.
Based on the Highway Act (公路法), the automaker would face a fine of between NT$300,000 and NT$1.5 million (between US$10,500 and US$51,700) if it chooses to ignore such an order.
The act also authorizes the ministry to continue fining the carmaker if it keeps ignoring the government’s order.
If deemed necessary, the government could also prohibit the import of Volkswagen vehicles.
Owners of Volkwagen vehicles are encouraged to report any problems or concerns related to the vehicles to VSCC by callling (04)781-2120, extensions 3127, 3124 or 7241.
The last time the ministry intervened in investigation of a car safety problem was in September 1997, when owners of Volvo vehicles were reported to have experienced unintended acceleration.
However, the ministry’s investigation, could not prove that the problem was caused by irregularities in the vehicles.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS