What 17 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Volkswagen Egolf

Two miles into my morning commute, I accelerated to 65 mph when the following message appeared on the instrument display "Error: electrical system. Stop!" At the same time, the vehicle lost all electrical motor drive and began to coast and decelerate. As I coasted there was a clicking noise in the drivetrain and remained audible while I changed lanes to the shoulder and made a safe full stop. I powered the vehicle OFF then ON three time or until the error disappeared. The vehicle was driven to a service location and scanned which revealed 14 error codes (ref. attachment) related to electric drivetrain. This error is a safety related fault and needs to be investigated by a NHTSA and a VW safety engineer.

NHTSA ODI 11489309

I PULLED OUT OF MY OFFICE PARKING LOT AND AS I WAS TRYING TO CROSS INTO TRAFFIC GOING LEFT, MY CAR DIED, INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE, WITH A CAR HEADING MY WAY. BY LUCK I KNOCKED IT INTO NEUTRAL AND HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. BARELY ESCAPING AN ACCIDENT. AT ANY MOMENT IN THE FUTURE, I COULD SEE THIS ERROR AGAIN: "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE: STOP!", WHICH KILLS THE MOTOR, AND MEANS NO BRAKE OR STEERING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM (POWER STEERING), AIRBAG, SAFETY BELT PRETENSIONER, AND OTHER VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES.

NHTSA ODI 10838686