VW and Ford Recall Portugal-Made Vehicles

10/14/96

Reuters reports that brake and door lock problems have led Ford and VW recall passenger vans and multi-purpose vehicles produced at their AutoEuropa joint venture plant in Palmela, Portugal and sold across Europe. Both companies are recalling the vehicles for inspection.

VW recalled 21,600 Sharan multi-purpose vehicles. 14,600 Sharan vehicles were produced since September of this year and are being recalled to inspect for possible problems with the brake pedal. Another 7,000 will be checked for possible faults with the lubrication of door locks.

Volkswagen spokesperson Hector De Morais said: "Volkswagen is asking clients automatically by letter to have their vehicles checked for free at their local concessionary garages."

Ford will recall thousands of Galaxy models made at the AutoEuropa joint venture at Palmela. Ford spokesperson Artur Lemos said, "We do not know the exact number of Galaxies affected, but we estimate it should be thousands across Europe, including 400 in Portugal."

Lemos said the Galaxy multi-purpose vehicles were produced between December 1995 and July 1996, and that they had the same problems as the VW Sharans, since both models were produced at AutoEuropa.

Lemos described the brake problem as a faulty spring that affected the mobility of the pedal. He said, "There is no risk during braking. It is a small problem easily fixed."

The AutoEuropa joint venture between Ford and Volkswagen is Portugal's biggest foreign investment project and produces a total of 520 passenger vans a day. The plant divides production equally between Ford and Volkswagen and includes a relatively small number of Seat Alhambra passenger vans.

A spokesperson for AutoEuropa said the venture did not yet know whether any of the Seat Alhambras would be involved in the recall.

The AutoEuropa plant, which was officially inaugurated in April 1995, employs about 4,000 people and contributes around 2.7 percent of Portugal's total economic output and 11 percent of its exports.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel