Volkswagen is recalling nearly 200,000 vehicles in Brazil because of a problem with the rear wheels that could cause them to seize or fall off.
The recall affects Novo Gol and Voyage models made in Brazil before July 2009, according to AFP.
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VW Brazil said on its website that 193,620 Novo Gol and Voyage cars were at risk of not having sufficient lubrication in rear wheels, which “can cause noise and continuous use could lead to a blockage of the wheels.”
“In extreme cases, the wheel can come off,” it said.
“It’s important to note that this recall only concerns some vehicles in the 2009-2010 lot. Cars made after July don’t have this lubrication problem. From July to now, all other vehicles are OK,” a Volkswagen spokesman told AFP.
The spokesman denied that Volkswagen had been slow to react. “A certain time is needed to identify the problem. What’s important is that the problem has been identified and resolved.”
It was the third such operation launched by Volkswagen in Brazil.
In April 2008, it recalled 477,000 of its Brazilian-made Fox compact models to fix a fault with the rear seat.
Eight Fox owners had their fingers mutilated and 14 suffered lesser hand injuries as they tried to fold the seat down to enlarge boot space.
In December of that same year, 120,000 late-model Fox, Novo Gol and Voyage cars were recalled because of a brake fault.
The only other mass recall on a bigger scale in Brazil was in 2002, when General Motors launched a campaign to repair problems with a million Corsa models.
Several smaller recalls have occurred in recent years for more minor problems such as malfunctioning electric windows or headlights.
