I have a 2002 VW Passat with 57K miles which is no longer under warranty. The VW dealership diagnosed a malfunction with the airbag control module that has rendered the aribags useless. It will cost $900 to repair.
Is the manufacturer under any obligation to fix this since it is a major safety issue?
Nope. It’s out of warranty, they have no obligation to fix it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a safety issue.
You are not married to the dealer. Find a good indy shop that is well versed in airbags. Call around, ask your friends, or look here: http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/ on this very website. Good shops DO exist. I’d suggest looking at electrical shops first. Practically ANY shop with a good scan tool can isolate the problem. That shop should be willing to fix it for you with either OEM or used parts for far less than the dealer’s estimate. I’ve had a couple of them fixed that way.
Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer is under any obligation to offer free repairs, safety issue notwithstanding.
If you prefer to have repairs made independently, first read the current issue of Reader’s Digest, which has a very informative article on the current spate of air bag scams.
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