Why VW and Audi Are Recalling More Than Two Million Cars Over Steering Bolts
This article explains why VW and Audi launched a steering-related recall, which models are affected, how corrosion can disable the steering, and the practical next steps for owners.
A small part with a serious job
The steering gear is held to the car by bolts. In the affected vehicles, corrosion can damage that fastening. Moisture gets into the attachment point, the bolt rusts gradually over months or years, and eventually it can shear off. When that happens, the steering gear is no longer fixed in place properly. Under high load, the casing can be damaged. In the worst case, the driver loses the ability to steer altogether. Neither manufacturer has reported any property damage or injuries connected to the defect so far, according to the ADAC.
Two brands, one long production window
The recall covers the Audi Q3 and the VW Golf, Golf Variant, Tiguan, Touran, and Caddy. Audi built affected cars between 31 October 2017 and 23 May 2024. Volkswagen's affected cars go back to 24 September 2013 and run through 1 July 2024. That is a production stretch of nearly eleven years for the VW models.
The total number of vehicles is large but not precisely defined by the public figures. ADAC reports that Audi and Volkswagen together are recalling more than 2.1 million vehicles worldwide. Figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority, cited by BILD, show 2,159,054 VW-brand vehicles globally, with 895,832 of those in Germany. That count refers to the VW brand alone, which suggests the combined total would be higher once the Audi Q3 is included. No official combined figure confirms that.
Why the recall is being treated as urgent
Volkswagen says only a small proportion of the cars from the listed periods will actually develop the problem. Still, the Federal Motor Transport Authority classifies the campaign as a safety-relevant recall and is monitoring it. Corrosion failures like this one can take years to appear, which is why the recall covers such a wide production window.
What owners should do
Anyone with a potentially affected car should contact a workshop. The steering attachment will be checked, and the existing bolt will be replaced with a more corrosion-resistant version. The work is free. The campaign carries the manufacturer codes 48 LG for Audi and 48 VS for Volkswagen. The Federal Motor Transport Authority references are 17014R for Audi and 17016R for VW. Volkswagen also operates a customer hotline at 0800 8655792436 for owners who want to check their vehicle. A dealer can confirm whether a specific car is listed using its vehicle identification number.