Volkswagen is recalling more than 261,000 cars in the US to fix a possible fuel leak that can increase the risk of fires.
The recall covers certain Audi A3s and VW Golfs and GTIs from model years 2015 through 2020. Also included are Golf Sportwagens from 2015 through 2019 and VW Jettas from 2019 and 2020. All of the recalled cars are front-wheel drive.
VW says in documents released Thursday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that a problem with a pump seal can cause fuel to leak from a charcoal canister into the emissions control system. . The agency says fuel leaks increase the risk of fire.
Dealers will replace the pump, which is located inside the fuel tank, at no cost to owners. VW will send notification letters starting April 12.
The recall is a second for many car owners. VW recalled about 110,000 cars for the same problem in 2016, but the company discovered that replacement pumps from the previous recall were also failing.
U.S. safety regulators opened an investigation into the problem last year after receiving 79 complaints from owners about fuel leaks.
VW said in documents it had 1,410 warranty claims with repair dates from May 2016 to December of last year. The documents say no fires have been identified related to the problem.
