NHTSA Complaint #11138782 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN EOS

LAST WEEK, WHILE TURNING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A SOUND LIKE RUBBER GRINDING. IMMEDIATELY, AN ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED INDICATING AN AIRBAG FAILURE. THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHILE DRIVING ON A 4-LANE HIGHWAY, ANOTHER VEHICLE BEGAN A LANE CHANGE WHILE I WAS IN ITS BLIND SPOT. I APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND ATTEMPTED TO SOUND THE HORN TO ALERT THE OTHER MOTORIST TO AVOID COLLISION, HOWEVER THE CAR'S HORN FAILED. THE ACCIDENT WAS AVOIDED, BUT THE EXPERIENCE WAS UNNERVING. MY WIFE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL VW SERVICE CENTER ON 10/5/18, AND WAS TOLD THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO AN ISSUE WITH THE CLOCK SPRING, A REPAIR WHICH SHE WAS TOLD WAS UNCOVERED BY RECALL. WE WERE A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS, BECAUSE THE DEALER HAD JUST PERFORMED A TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL SERVICE IN FEBRUARY, THEN TODAY WE RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE AIRBAG BUT NOT THIS RELATED ISSUE. SOME INVESTIGATION IN ONLINE PUBLICATIONS LIKE FORBES, INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE CLOCK SPRING IN 2015, WITH THIS VEHICLE LISTED IN THE MODEL LIST AND PRODUCTION DATES. HOWEVER, VW DOES NOT LIST THIS RECALL UNDER OUR VIN NUMBER. AGAIN WE ARE SUSPICIOUS. IT IS OUR FEELING THAT THE FAILURE OF THE CLOCK SPRING, AFFECTING THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG AND THE CAR HORN (THE HORN IS NOT BROKEN, THE CLOCK SPRING IS), POSES A MOTORIST SAFETY RISK TO THIS AND OTHER VEHICLES IN TRAFFIC.