VW Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Stalling Problems

A recent class action lawsuit claims that VW stalling problems are present in various vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen.

Plaintiffs Marilyn Dickinson and Kate Conroy claim their Volkswagen vehicles were affected by VW stalling problems. The VW defect allegedly causes vehicles to suddenly stop, which the plaintiffs argue could pose a danger to the driver, car occupants, and even other drivers on the road.

Allegedly, the VW defect affects a number of models including 2018 and 2019 Volkswagen GTI, Golf, Jetta, Passat and Tiguan vehicles equipped with 2.0L TSI engines.

The plaintiffs argue that these vehicles are equipped with a defective engine that causes sudden and unexpected stalling.

“Such stalling causes the Class Vehicles to abruptly stop, posing a danger to the driver and occupants of the Class Vehicles, and others that share the road with them, as other vehicles can collide with the Class Vehicle that has stopped moving without warning,” the VW stalling problems class action lawsuit argues.

Dickinson says she experienced the issue in her 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. She claims that, on at least 25 occasions, her vehicle has suffered from VW stalling problems when slowing down near a traffic light, stop sign or while turning into a driveway or parking lot.

Each time, Dickinson was allegedly forced to turn off her lights and radio, turn on her hazard lights, and wait up to 10 minutes before returning to the road.

Unfortunately, the problem only got worse, according to Dickinson. On Feb. 26, the plaintiff allegedly experienced VW stalling problems while approaching a busy four lane intersection.

After waiting several minutes and sitting through many light changes, she was reportedly able to restart her vehicle. However, afterwards, she was allegedly unable to shift properly between gears.

The RPMs raced and the car failed to accelerate, according to the plaintiff. Instead, the vehicle allegedly jolted forwards at no more than five to 10 miles per hour.

After pulling into a nearby shopping mall, Dickinson says she sought assistance from her local dealer. However, the vehicle allegedly continued to stall even on the way to the service appointment on March 10.

After having her car towed to the dealership, Dickinson says that she was told she would be need to pay nearly $2,000 to have her clutch, flywheel, bearing and clutch kit replaced. Warranty coverage was allegedly denied, forcing her to pay for repairs out-of-pocket.

Conroy reportedly experienced similar issues in her 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. After contacting Volkswagen, Conroy was allegedly offered a $5,000 credit towards the lease of a new vehicle. However, the dealership reportedly refused to honor the credit, forcing her to incur an early termination fee and loss of deposit.

Other consumers have allegedly experienced the VW stalling problems, even reporting the issues to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, Volkswagen has reportedly refused to resolve the issue or even warn consumers about the problem.

“Volkswagen has long been aware of the Engine Stalling Defect. Despite its longstanding knowledge, Volkswagen has been unable or unwilling to adequately repair the Class Vehicles when the Engine Stalling Defect manifests,” the VW defect class action lawsuit claims.

Instead, Volkswagen has allegedly worked to conceal the defect from consumers.

As a result, countless drivers have purchased or leased vehicles with the VW defect – unaware that they are not getting the quality they reportedly paid for and are instead likely to incur additional expenses.

“Not only did Volkswagen actively conceal the fact that the Class Vehicles were prone to the Engine Stalling Defect, which could result in sudden and unexpected slowing and stopping events and other dangerous situations (and require costly repairs to fix), it did not reveal that the existence of this Defect would diminish the intrinsic and resale value of the Class Vehicles,” the plaintiffs argue in their VW stalling problems class action lawsuit.

The VW stalling problems class action claims that the plaintiffs and other consumers would not have purchased the vehicles or would have paid significantly less had they been aware of the VW defect.

The plaintiffs seek to represent a Class of owners or lessees of vehicles affected by the VW defect. The plaintiffs also propose to represent two subclasses of the same consumers in New York or Florida, respectively.

Have you experienced VW stalling problems or another VW defect? Share your story in the comments section below.

Plaintiffs and the proposed Class are represented by George F. Farah, Rebecca P. Chang and William H. Anderson of Handley Farah & Anderson PLLC, Joseph B. Kenney and Lori G. Kier of Sauder Schelkopf LLC.

The VW Stalling Problems Class Action Lawsuit is Dickinson, et al. v. Volkswagen Group of America Inc., et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-00579-GLS-CFH, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.

Read More Lawsuit & Settlement News:

Having Problems with a GM 5.3 Engine? You’re Not Alone

Alabama Voters Want Vote-by-Mail Option During Coronavirus

Ethicon’s Surgical Stapler Recall: What are the Risks?

OxyCide Cleaner Hazards: An Overview of OSHA Regulations