2009 Volkswagen Passat

WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING WAS DISABLED. PULLED THE CAR OVER, TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR A DAY OR TWO. SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AND RESOLVED SAME WAY BY ME. HAPPENED AGAIN - TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING RACK. I ASKED THE DEALER IF THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE AND THE RESPONSE WAS "EXTREMELY RARE". I TOOK TO AUTHORIZED VW REPAIR CENTERS (NON-DEALER). COULD NOT QUOTE AN EXACT PRICE FOR THE "REPAIR" AS NONE OF THEM HAVE EVER SEEN A REPAIR LIKE THIS NEEDED ON A VW. DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND VW RECALL NO. 48J1/P3 WHICH WAS ISSUED FOR THE 2009 PASSAT BUT APPARENTLY NOT FOR MY VIN? THE HAZARDS AS EXPERIENCED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING. CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IS POSSIBLE? VW IS REFUSING TO CONTRIBUTE OR COVER ANY COST OF THE REPAIR AND IT IS A HIGH SAFETY CONCERN FOR MY FAMILY.

WENT TO WORK ON A SUB ZERO TEMPS DAY. CAR WAS WARMING UP. WENT TO PULL AWAY SHE THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WITH A 3 CHIM TONE WARNING AND LOCKED UP THE STEERING COLUMM. HAD CAR TOWED TO AN OTHERIZED DEALSHIP WHERE THEY SCANNED VEHICLE AND FOUND FOUR CODES FOR STEERING RACK BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETECT ANY WARNING LIGHTS ON DASH BOARD.

WHEN BACKING UP, OR GOING FORWARD SLOW, TO PARK WITH FRONT WHEELS TURNING THERE IS A SNAPPING SOUND WHICH A AN ARIZONE VW DEALER BLAMES ON SALT/SAND FROM NE. CAR WAS ON LIFT IN MAINE AND I PAINTED UNDERCARRAIGE AND THERE WAS NO SIGN OF RUST EXCEPT ON PARTS OF CLAMPS/SCREWS. VEHICLE WAS WASHED A MINIMUM OF ONCE A WEEK DURING WINTER. MOVED TO AZ AND THE SNAPPING IS MORE EVIDENT. VW REPLACED MUCH OF THE FRONT END AND HAD CAR FOR THREE WEEKS. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE CAR AND STILL HAD TO PAY OVER $1200.00. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO A VEHICLE REPAIR SERVICE TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT.

MY POWER STEERING LOCK UP ON ME 2X RED LIGHT CAME ON THE SECOND TIME AND BING 3X. STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT UNLOCK RIGHT AWAY. TOOK THE PASSAT DOWN TO A AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED RACK AND PINION AND IT COST $ 1,772.33. MY PASSAT IS 6 YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 37,270 MILES. THIS STEERING PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPEN WITH LOW MILEAGE. I CALLED THE VW CARE CENTER TO ASK IF IT WAS RECALL THEY SAID NO. AND WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. BECAUSE IT WAS OVER 3 YEARS OLD. I WILL NEVER BUY OTHER VW AGAIN SCENTS THEY WILL NOT STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING GEAR CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V577000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RECALL ON THE 130 EARLIER PASSAT VEHICLES WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD. THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN STARTED AND THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WAS SOMEWHAT DRIVABLE BUT W/O ANY POWER ASSIST WHATSOEVER. I AM A MAN AND COULD WRESTLE WITH IT TO GET THE CAR OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE AND OVER TO THE LOCAL DEALER. BUT MY WIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED. AND I FEAR WHAT MAY HAPPEN IF THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THERE WOULD LIKELY BE AN ACCIDENT THROUGH NO FAULT OF THE DRIVER. THIS HAD HAPPENED TO MY WIFE SEVERAL TIMES BUT IF SHE SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED THE CAR, THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND EVEN SOLD US A NEW BATTERY AS THEIR MACHINE WAS SHOWING LOW VOLTAGE CODES. THE TECH EVEN SAID THAT MAY AFFECT THE STEERING, SINCE IT HAS ELECTRONICS. NOT SURE WHY IN THE WORLD WE NEED STEERING SYSTEMS THAT HAVE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. I THINK THAT VW HAS UNDERESTIMATED THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT LIKELY WERE MANUFACTURED WITH THIS DEFECTIVE PART. THE REPAIR WAS AN ENTIRE NEW STEERING RACK FOR THE CAR. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT CC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND WOULD NOT TURN IN ANY DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,199 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,400.

LOSS OF POWER STEERING. STEERING GAUGE LIGHT TURNS ON, ALONG WITH ABS LIGHT, TRACTION LIGHT. STEERING WHEEL HARDENS AND IT IS UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE. SECOND TIME THAT HAS OCCURRED. CRASH AVERTED DUE TO LOW SPEEDS. HAD THE INCIDENT OCCURRED MINUTES BEFORE DURING HIGHWAY DRIVE, CERTAIN ACCIDENT WOULD'VE BEEN UNAVOIDABLE. INCIDENT HAPPENED AT APPROX. 7000 MILES FIRST AND NOW AGAIN AT APPROX. 24K MILES. VEHICLE BEING REVIEWED. *TR