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NHTSA Campaign 08V397000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC.

NHTSA campaign 08V397000 covers 4 vehicles and concerns the power train:automatic transmission. The repair is free.

What this recall covers

The defect
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 13,900 MY 1996-2003 AUDI A8 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE LOCKING CABLE MAY MOVE OUT OF POSITION OVER TIME. WITH THE LOCKING CABLE OUT OF POSITION, THE SHIFTER CAN BE MOVED OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION EVEN IF THE IGNITION KEY IS NOT IN THE IGNITION LOCK.
The risk
THIS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL, CAUSING A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
The fix
DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOCKING CABLE BY INSTALLING AN ADJUSTING PIECE THAT WILL SECURE THE LOCKING CABLE IN PLACE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
Notes
VOLKSWAGEN/AUDI RECALL NO. 37D5/J2. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

Vehicles covered by 08V397000 (4)

Is my car affected?

Being on this list means your year, make and model fall inside campaign 08V397000. It does not mean your individual car does: a campaign covers a range of VINs built in a specific window, and cars either side of that window are untouched.

Check the 17-character VIN from the driver-side dashboard or door jamb against NHTSA's lookup. If it is covered, the dealer must do the work free of charge, regardless of the car's age or mileage.