VW to recall over 5,000 ID. Buzz vans
It’s a second recall and stop sale order for the spacious electric minivan, which features three rows of seats. The third row towards the rear of the vehicle has been praised by users for its width and comfort, but according to new documentation filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the roomy rear row of seats is in violation of laws concerning seatbelts.
Specifically, the third row of seats at the rear of the van is large enough to seat three people, but only has two seatbelts fitted. This apparently falls foul of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.208 concerning crash protection safety measures. The issue was discovered in mid-February by Faurecia Autositze GmbH, a supplier of VW, which reported the issue to the company. An external testing programme was commissioned in March, with test results concluding in April that the rear seat of the LWB ID Buzz required three seatbelts.
Volkswagen says it will now have dealers retrofit ‘fixed unpadded trim parts to limit the seating surface’ in the ID Buzz, essentially taking away seat space from the vehicle in order to comply with the regulation. Additionally, unsold ID Buzz vans cannot be sold until the issue is addressed. This is the second time the ID Buzz has faced a ‘stop sale’ in the US during the last month, with the first concerning the brake icon on the dashboard gauge not having the word ‘brake’ in it.
It is worth mentioning that, in the US, VW only sells the ID Buzz with the longer wheelbase, the six and seven-seater versions with either three rows of two seats or a seven-seater with a three-seat bench across the middle row. In Europe and elsewhere, the shorter wheelbase version comes with five seats as standard. Therefore, European models will not be affected by this US requirement.
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