Over on the cars.com blog, Kicking Tires, David Thomas passed along a recall alert for the engine control modules on VW’s 2009 Tiguan compact SUV and 2008 Passat wagons. Apparently, the problem can cause an engine surge, and VW says owners should take their vehicles in for an inspection and possible replacement as soon as possible. In the meantime, new sales are at a standstill until dealers are able to inspect the modules.

My take on it? Dave, in Kicking Tires, you hit the nail on the head. Volkswagen isn’t known for its reliability, and this latest recall is the last in a long line of VW problems. Here’s a sampling of VW recalls for 2008 models:

• VW GTI, Jetta, R32, and Rabbit - Headlights can’t be adjusted, and could cause reduced road visibility, thus increasing the risk of a crash (340,000 vehicles potentially affected)
• New Beetle - The wrong glue was used to attach roof spoilers, meaning they could come loose or fall off the car and create an obstacle to other vehicles or hit a person outside of the car
• Touareg - A faulty fuel supply line could lead to a gas leak, which could cause a fire.

Recalls for 2007 included more headlight problems (GTI, Jetta, R32, and Rabbit), brake lights that could stop working (New Beetle), inoperative windshield wipers (Passat), and brake power assist problems that could lead to a crash (Passat and Passat Wagon).

Consumer complaints about 2007 models piled on to the recalls. Subframe bolt failures, braking problems, faulty fuel pumps, power train malfunctions, and a myriad of electrical system problems plagued 2007 VWs.

Worst of all? Volkswagen is notoriously uncooperative when it comes to settling Lemon Law cases. Nevertheless, we were able to help two of our clients to get Lemon Justice. In one case, a 2008 VW Jetta had a variety of electrical problems. After our client returned her vehicle to an authorized VW service center five times during the first two months of ownership, we were able to settle her case for $4,000.

In another case, our client had a 2007 VW Rabbit that had problems starting. After taking the car in four times, VW was finally able to resolve the problem. Our client had no problems with the vehicle for three months, but with tenacity, we were able to get VW to compensate our client with $3,000.