VW Group Vehicles Held Up at U.S. Customs Finally Shipped

Thousands of vehicles from several Volkswagen Group brands that have been stored at the port since late January have now been released and are being shipped to dealers.

A company spokesperson told Motor Authority that the VW Group expects all vehicles in storage to be delivered by the end of March.

The vehicles span the Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche brands. For Porsche, it is all models except the 718 and Macan.

At the heart of the problem is a small electronic component that appears to be a microchip that is part of a larger control unit. The component was sourced from a supplier in western China, reportedly in violation of anti-forced labor laws, which caused the component to violate U.S. Customs regulations.

The vehicles being released will be fitted with replacement parts that comply with U.S. Customs regulations. Replacement parts are installed as they arrive.

Many automakers have suffered multiple setbacks related to supply chain issues since the outbreak of the pandemic. The most widespread was a shortage of chips due to plant shutdowns, but more specific problems included the Suez Canal being blocked for six days by the 2021 cargo ship Ever Given, and more recently, Houthis attacking some cargo ships in the Red Sea.

Several German automakers, including some brands of the VW Group, also suffered disruptions early in the Ukrainian war. The war prompted the closure of plants responsible for assembling wire harnesses and led to production stoppages at several automakers' plants.