German automaker Volkswagen is recalling 45,457 of its 2018 Tiguan SUVs because the decorative LED lighting in the vehicle’s panoramic sunroof may short-circuit and cause a fire. The company warns that owners who notice a burning odor or smoke coming from the front of the sunroof frame should not open the sunroof or continue driving because that will increase the risk of a fire.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that two incidents were reported to Volkswagen because of this issue. For this reason, the company recalled its 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SUVs with panoramic sunroofs produced from Dec. 8, 2016, through July 8, 2018.
2018 Tiguan Volkswagen Sunroof LED Lighting Short Circuit Could Result in Fire
NHTSA pointed out that high humidity in the panoramic sunroof LED lighting module can lead to a short-circuit, which could result in a fire. Volkswagen dealers will disconnect the LED light module from its power supply and apply aluminum tape. While the LED lights will no longer illuminate after this repair, NHTSA says that the automaker intends to safely reactivate the aesthetic feature after a future additional service campaign.
The recall will begin on or before Sept. 11, 2018. NHTSA says owners of affected vehicles can contact Volkswagen at 800-893-5298 about (NHTSA campaign number: 18V-467 and Volkswagen’s own recall number is 60D1). NHTSA urges car owners who think they might be affected by the recall or other recalls to plug in the 17-digit vehicle identification number at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website. The recall search feature of the website will tell vehicle owners if their vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.
