- Volkswagen paused ID. Buzz sales to fix a pair of recalls
- Now fixed, you can once again buy the Buzz, if you can find one
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is back on sale after the company paused deliveries to fix a pair of recalls. The company made no formal announcement that sales have resumed, but reported 564 recent sales in its second quarter sales report yesterday.
The all-electric ID. Buzz created an atmosphere of excitement with its retro-inspired microbus looks and playful spirit (think cute Easter Eggs throughout the car and thoughtful quirks like console dividers that pop out for use as bottle openers and ice scrapers). It won World Car Design of the Year, and our Mike Danger says it puts a lot of smiles on strangers’ faces.
But Volkswagen ran into two unusual problems. It used a brake light warning required in Europe instead of the one required in the U.S., which American drivers might not recognize. And its third row of seats sits only two, but has enough seating surface for three. Federal safety officials worried it would tempt owners to carry three people in a row with only two seatbelts.
Volkswagen fixed the warning issue with a software update. They fixed the seating issue by installing a hard plastic panel between the two rearmost seats so no one could sit between them.
Now, the Buzz is back on sale. But don’t expect it to be easy to find. Volkswagen has told dealerships to expect just one or two to sell in the first year of production, keeping the car rare and buzzworthy.
