Volkswagen Group of America Inc. is recalling up to 62 2015 Passats manufactured from May 18 to May 21 that may have been manufactured incorrectly.
According to a U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall acknowledgement issued July 6, certain Passats may have a brake line around the car’s left rear wheel that may not have been tightened properly.
“If the brake line was not properly tightened, it may leak brake fluid, causing a reduction in braking performance, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of crash,” the acknowledgement stated.
Volkswagen has notified the owners of the potentially defective vehicles about the recall, urging them to contact their nearest authorized dealer or qualified workshop to have the vehicle looked at.
According to the Safety Recall Report associated with the recall, “During production a torque wrench broke internally and did not apply the specified torque, although the wrench drive recorded a proper torque. The wrench is checked daily and improper function was detected during the next inspection. All vehicles manufactured after last good measurement until fault detection have been included in this recall.”
The report urged consumers to look for leaking fluid around the driver’s side rear wheel as a possible indicator of an issue. If enough fluid is lost, the brake warning light will illuminate.