Volkswagen, Audi Suction Jet Pump Lawsuit Says Defect Can Cause Fuel Leaks, Gas Odor, Fire

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges certain model year Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Taos and Audi A3 vehicles are equipped with a defective suction jet pump and/or other fuel tank components that can fail prematurely. 

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The 130-page VW and Audi fuel tank suction jet pump lawsuit claims the problematic gas tank parts were designed, made and/or installed in a manner that can cause fuel leaks, premature nozzle shutoffs, fuel spillbacks, and a gas odor in the affected vehicles, which are comprised of the 2015-2020 Golf, 2022-2024 Taos and 2015-2020 A3. The suction jet pump problem also increases the risk of fire, the case states, alleging the “troubling defect” jeopardizes driver, passenger and pedestrian safety. 

According to the complaint, the suction jet pump issues are likely caused by inadequate seals, the degradation of the materials in the pump upon being exposed to fuel, improper gas tank and/or pump design, and/or the improper design of the fuel system itself.

Defendants Volkswagen Group of America and Audi of America have known of the problem since the beginning of 2015 yet continue to equip Golf, Taos and A3 models with “defective fuel tanks, suction jet pumps, and related components” while refusing to disclose the problem to drivers, the lawsuit claims. 

Related Reading: VW Suction Jet Pump Lawsuit

The gas tank in the Golf, Taos and A3 models at issue is what’s known as “saddle style,” meaning it consists of a primary and secondary chamber. One chamber contains a delivery module with an electric fuel pump, while the other chamber houses the suction jet pump, the filing shares. 

Per the suit, the suction jet pump receives no external power and is instead powered by the flow of fuel in the tank so as to transfer fuel from one chamber to the other, where the gas can then be delivered consistently to the vehicle’s engine by the electric fuel pump. 

This style of fuel tank is connected to the affected Golf, Taos and A3 vehicles’ evaporative emission control (EVAP) system via a vent line, the case states. When functioning properly, the EVAP system, which consists of leak detection sensors, connector lines and hoses, and a charcoal-filled vapor canister, captures gasoline fumes and other emissions and returns those emissions to the combustion process to keep the chemicals from reaching outside the car and polluting the air, the filing relays. 

Related Reading: Audi Suction Jet Pump Lawsuit 

The proposed class action alleges the VW/Audi suction jet pumps not only have a high risk of failure but also increase the risk of fuel egress from the gas tank to the EVAP system, in which fuel moves through the vent line to the charcoal canister. 

“As the charcoal canister absorbs this fuel, it overfills and leaks fuel, both to the outside of the vehicle and into the rear vehicle cabin,” the case summarizes. “As result [sic], Plaintiffs and Class members experience fuel leaks, premature fuel nozzle shutoffs due to the built up pressure in the gas tank from evaporated fuel and emissions that has not been used, inability to fill up, hissing noises when the gas tank cap is unscrewed, fuel spillbacks, and/or gas odor inside their vehicles.” 

The VW/Audi suction jet pump lawsuit looks to cover all individuals or entities who bought or leased a 2015-2020 Volkswagen Golf, 2015-2020 Audi A3 or 2022-2024 Volkswagen Taos in the United States. 

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