VW Touareg factory recall for flying spoiler defect

The American governmental transport safety agency, NHTSA, has ordered the recall of all Volkswagen Touareg vehicles between the model-years 2007 and 2009 to address a factory defect. The fastening struts on the roof-edge spoiler can crack, causing the spoiler to become loose and possibly detach from the vehicle without warning, even though initially the spoiler may feel secure.

The NHTSA says that “if this happens, the spoiler could cause injury by striking persons outside the vehicle or could become an obstacle to other drivers, possibly resulting in a crash.” Owners who off-road regularly, or live in areas with many speed-bumps, may want to take note of pieces falling off their German-built 4×4.

The recall is only for the 14,416 facelifted VW Touaregs sold in the United States. Dealers there will install reinforcement wedges to the roof-edge spoiler free-of-charge. The U.S. recall is expected to begin during July this year.

Owners of troublesome Touaregs in the UAE and GCC may contact their local Volkswagen dealer to demand that this fix be done under warranty, before the spoiler falls off without warning and are forced to buy a new one. Be aware some dealers may inaccurately claim that GCC-spec models are fine.