A report by Ars Technica details that there have been 13 crash reports filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) associated with these haptic controls.
The specific issues arising from this technology include unintended acceleration or deceleration because the controls activate too easily. This design flaw has reportedly led to three injuries and one significant incident involving substantial vehicle damage without airbag deployment or black box recording.
Volkswagen responded to these concerns late in 2022, acknowledging the issue through a statement from their CEO Thomas Schäfer. He remarked, "We had frustrated customers who shouldn't be frustrated," addressing the ongoing issue candidly. Following this, Volkswagen announced plans to revert to traditional push-buttons on some of their models, an update that has already been implemented in newer versions of models such as Tiguan and the updated Golf Mk8.5.
As for NHTSA's involvement, despite the reports and worries expressed by consumers, there has yet to be a formal investigation opened concerning these haptic controls. The situation remains concerning for both current owners and prospective buyers regarding safety standards met by new technological integrations in vehicles.
Source: Ars Technica
