2022 Volkswagen Golf R, Golf GTI recalled due to issue with sunroof button

A touch captive button in 2022 Volkswagen Golf R, Golf GTI is leading to the recall of 2,238 units of these models in the US. The touch-capacitive button to operate the sunroof in these models was pointed out to be too sensitive and can be activated accidentally. This leads to the violation of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 118 that relates to “power-operated window systems".

A report in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that if the sunroof is closed inadvertently, it could increase the risk of an injury for the occupants of the affected models. While Volkswagen only offers high-performance versions of the Golf in North America, many critics have pointed out that the new models’ capacitive buttons that replaced the physical buttons has become an issue.

A critic Michael Gauthier pointed out that lack of physical buttons in latest Golf models is “a strange omission" and claimed that the “interior tech comes off as half-baked" stuff in these models saying that the “touch controls can be hit or miss".

To fix this issue in affected models, Volkswagen will start reaching out to customers on September 23. The company will replace the roof module switch with a new one but the buttons will be of the same kind, just that the new ones will have changed capacitive parameters so as to not be tripped inadvertently. Unfortunately for those who do not like touch capacitive buttons, they are gonna have to bear with these even after the fix on the models. Volkswagen will perform the fix free of charge.

In a separate development, Volkswagen will buy self-driving software and hardware from Israel’s Innoviz Technologies for $4 billion. The company's CARIAD technologies group signed a deal with Innoviz that specifies that the Volkswagen Group will use components such as laser-based lidar sensors for its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving vehicles from mid-decade.