Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - LINKAGES - ROD - RELAY - CONNECTING | ||||||||||||||||
| 99V248000 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC | from 01/02/1998 to 07/31/1998 | V (Vehicle) | 51900 | 10/05/1999 | MFR | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 09/13/1999 | 09/28/1999 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the tie rods of the steering assembly are protected on each side by a seal to prevent moisture and dust particles from entering the swivel bearing mechanism. it is possible that some tie rod seals may not seal properly. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If moisture and/or dust particles enter the swivel bearing mechanism, the swivel bearing could wear over time diminishing the steering control of the vehicle. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the tie rods. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Vw recall no. ul/audi recall no. kw. owner notification began october 5, 1999. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987 or audi at 1-800-822-2834.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||||
| 092603 | 09/26/2003 | 10006830 | Zf vh recall of the zf steering pump, supplied to wd's for replacement of the audi a4 passat p/n 8d0 145 156fx instead of the correct zf p/n 7691 955 276zw. 2004 audi a4 also included. *tt | 05/14/2004 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 01/05/2004 | 137000 | 2 | 08/01/2001 |
| The consumer's vehicle had smoke coming from the steering column. the smoke had an odor of burning oil and smoke combined. the appearance was white. this started one year ago and went away, and now the problem recurred.*ak took car to dealer in rapid city sd. they said there was an excess of grease on certain parts under the stering wheel / in the stering wheel. this build up of dust would cause smoke and smell. *eh | |||
| 1 | |||
| The steering system has developed a leak 6 months after purchase. nlm | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 04/01/2001 | |||
| Consumer called complaining about having problems with the tire rod ends being defective. also stated that there is a recall on the vehicle now but the recall did not affect his vin #. manufacture was contacted and stated that there was nothing they can do about it. ts | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 3 | 04/15/1998 | ||
| After three repairs the anti-theft system fails to operate. *yc | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||
| 07/19/2003 | 41001 | 1 | 04/30/1998 |
| Car continues to lose power steering fluid. prior to realization to check it with every gas fill up car became difficult to steer, almost causing a servere accident.*ak | |||
| 09/18/2000 | |||
| Took vehicle to dealer & was informed by mechanic that rack needed to be replaced due to power steering leaking fluid through it. also rotors were replaced due to excessive wear. fuel tank had collapsed & was not accepting any fuel. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| Rack and pinion steering failed due to a defective steering column. also power steering pump failed , cause unknown. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 04/04/2000 | 2 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Car leaks power steering fluid. vw told me i need a new steering rack at a cost of $681. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 01/10/2000 | 8 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Loose steering there is noise everytime i hit the brakes and accelerate also when i go over bumps.the bushing of the all the control arms are gone. *ak | |||
| 04/18/2000 | 06/01/1998 | ||
| Sudden loss of engine power/electrical systems while vehicle is moving. loss of vehicle control with no engine systems and no power steering assist. saftey concern from rear end accidents from other vehicles and no avoidance control. also, regular loss of power steering fluid requires constant monitoring. | |||
| Vehicle was stalling at highway speeds, and a loss of power steering occurred. also. there was a short in the fuel pump because of faulty wiring. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 02/01/2004 | 85000 | 1 | 05/31/1998 |
| My 1998 vw passat has a loud grinding, rumbling sound and vibration coming from the front suspension, sounds like the wheels are going to fall off. the dealer replaced the cross link arms at a cost of approx $300. i also had the tie rods replaced under recall. but noise/vibration still there. now the dealer tells me it might be bushings on either the upper control arm or the lower control arm, each costing about $1300 to replace. i asked the dealer if this was a normal repair item, they said sure, your car has 90k miles on it. i find it hard to believe that a well built, safe car would have this type of expensive repair.*ak | |||
| 02/17/2003 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Defective tie rod assembly and lower ink arm-n and lower control arm-n caused potentially dangerous steering condition and made loud grinding noises. | |||
| 08/02/2001 | |||
| Left lower arm link is broken and causes some noise when driving. contacted dealer. ak | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Contacted the dealer at failure and stated that they had no tools to repair the tie rods. also contacted the volkwageen of america. this item has a recall on my car. but, my chasis is not one of the 51,000 vehicles on the list, but my car is a 1998 vw passat. i need to find out how to have my car placed on the recall list so that the dealer can re-place my faulty tie rod on my car. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - KNUCKLE - SPINDLE - ARM | |||
| 12/18/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Ongoing dispute with vci and vw over lease payments and recall and damages. no safety defects mentioned in summary. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - ROD - RELAY - CONNECTING | |||
| 05/01/2002 | 54636 | 1 | |
| Consumer disappointed with denial for reimbursement of repairs on 2004 vw-passat control arm. *bf recall campaign; nhtsa campaign id number : 99v248000. the consumer made repairs to the vehicle for a defective steering and control mechanisms. *tc the consumer was denied reimbursement because she did not provide proof of the 40,000 mile maintenance. | |||
| 100000 | 1 | ||
| The consumer experienced problems with the steering. the tie rods were going bad and the mfr was calling for a recall for this problem, however the owner was told that the vin# was not included. *jb | |||
| 03/02/2003 | 1 | 03/18/1998 | |
| Problems with left side upper control arms link, sway bar links and lower control arm. *mr *ts also the tie rod ends were replaced, there was a recall regarding the issue, however the consumer's vehicle was not affected. *jb | |||
| 03/27/2003 | 46000 | 1 | |
| The vehicle experienced the same problem as stated in recall 99 v 248 000, however the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall. *jb | |||
| 06/03/1999 | 2 | ||
| Vehicle experienced failure of the control arm which broke causing damage to vehicle, prior to incident vehicle was inspected for noise, no repair made at that time, recall campaign (99v-248)was not completed, which would possibly have prevented the incident. *mjs | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/05/2005 | 45000 | 2 | 09/27/2002 |
| Steering: control arms. the vehicle was purchased used with approx 34k miles. service has been maintained by owner and/or independent repair. at approximately 50k owner was notified by independent repair service that both upper control arms needed to be replaced. owner chose not to do the repair at that time. during 2005 owner received a letter from volkswagen about a recall on the affected part(s). two local volkswagen dealerships acknowledged the part was defective but denied to do the work under the recall notification. both gave justification that because the owner could not document service checks at the recommended factory intervals the volkswagen company would not pay for parts or service. owner called the volkswagen company directly and a customer service representative verified the policy. owner has since replaced one control art, however the other side also needs repair. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 40000 | 1 | 06/01/2002 |
| I am the second owner of a 1998 volkswagen passat vin #wvwma63bowe259937, which has a safety recall for the tie rod ends. the local volkswagen dealer(s) have acknowledged that the front tie rods do need to be replaced, however, they will not honor the safety recall. the reason is that there is no record of factory recommended service checks. i have had the vehicle serviced on a regular basis by a couple of independent mechanics, however, i cannot produce the paper work for the recommended service checks between 35,000 miles and 60,000. i called volkswagen headquarters and they acknowledged that although it is a safety recall, they will not honor the repair unless i can provide proof of compliance. the symptoms have presented themselves for 3/4 years on an intermittent basis. i am in the process of having my current independent mechanic replace the ball joints. *nm | |||
| 01/18/2005 | 58000 | 1 | 05/15/1998 |
| Tie rod failure (excessive wear), leading to loose steering on a 1998 volkswagen passat. some passat's of this model year have been previously recalled for this type of problem; vw informs me that my car is not subject to the recall. *nm | |||
| 07/26/2004 | 3 | 01/06/2002 | |
| 1998 vw passat: heard loud clanking noises especially when turning vehicle. reported to vw service department local dealership. advised the the upper control arm joint is worn and need replacement. further, both left and right tie rods are totally shot and need replacing. checked and found that the tie rod problem was recalled by nhtsa sep. 1999 (99v-248) but that my vehicle was not included in recall. do not know why as the problem described is the same. additionally, numerous complaints about the control arms have been noted on this site, yet vw of america, who advised me are aware and sensitive to the problem, refused assistance in repairing the vehicle. also the recalled tie rods replacement was refused to be fixed by them. please follow up and investigate vw of america for these very important safety issues since i was told that they can cause serious driver accidents. i am also wondering why the brake rotors needed replacement when new brakes were installed. do not trust vw to be a safe vehicle at this time. *ak | |||
| 03/10/2004 | 50000 | 4 | 01/20/2004 |
| Our 1998 passat has only 50,000 miles on it, and yet all of the expensive front control arms are starting to go bad. they are getting play in the ball joints, which are only replaceable by replacing the whole control arms. since there are a total of 8 control arms, the cost of repair is potentially very high. and if they are not replaced, the potential for hazard and injury becomes very great if the joints get so sloppy that they affect the handling of the car and eventually come apart. vw should not be allowed to get away with building such an under-engineered suspension system.*ak | |||
| 18000 | 2 | ||
| The owner received recall notice#99v 248 000/tie rods from the mfr. in september,1999. the work was done in december 1999. less than 30,000 later the tie rods failed again. the consumer contacted he mfr. who indicated that they have fulfilled there commitment and there is nothing else they will do. *nm | |||
| 02/01/2004 | 100000 | 10 | 05/30/1998 |
| The front of my car constantly groans when i move the steering wheel (while driving or not) and if i apply pressure to the front end. i took the car to my mechanic (not vw) who said that there is something going on with the struts, tie rods, or something in that area. he recommended i talk to vw to see if the item is recalled or covered by warranty in any way. i called vw gave my vin and it is not part of the current recall regarding tie rods. i bought one of the first 1998 vw passats of the b5 series.*ak | |||
| 09/23/2003 | 75000 | 1 | |
| While driving at any speed, the consumer would hear a squeaking sound coming from the front end. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who found that the right outer and inner tie rods needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 85000 | 1 | 05/01/1998 |
| Mechanic is telling me all four tie rod assemlbies and control arms need replaced. i have been hearin a loud crunching noice everytime i go over a small bump or turn a corner. *ak | |||
| 10/27/2003 | 1 | ||
| Worn tie rod ends, resulting in vague steering on my 1998 vw passat (original owner) and required. two recalls were issued on 1998 passats, but dealer and vwoa advised me that my vin was not eligible for the recall.*ak | |||
| 08/22/2003 | 59000 | 10/15/1998 | |
| The tie rod ends were dangerously worn and needed to be replaced at 59,000 miles. the vin for the vehicle was lower than those included in an earlier recall but the problem appears to be the same. there is no reason for the tie rod ends to wear out that early unless they are defective. this is a safety hazard and appears to result from faulty parts. | |||
| 1 | |||
| A squeaking noise was heard when getting out of the vehicle or when applying pressure to the hood. vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the tie rods were found to be worn out also, power steering fluid had to be added about every 60 days due to a defect in the rack and pinion. *ak | |||
| 02/17/2003 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Defective tie rod assembly and lower ink arm-n and lower control arm-n caused potentially dangerous steering condition and made loud grinding noises. | |||
| 04/04/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2097 | |
| Design flaw in tie rod ends and protective boot. excessive wear and failure of joint could result in loss of ability to steer. this may result in an accident and vehicle damage.*ak | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/2000 | |
| When turning wheel there was noise at the front of vehicle, dealer determined that the bushings needed to be replaced.*ak. consumer states he replaced the tie rod end. *tt | |||
| 11/17/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| There is a recall for the same problem which is your campaign id#99v248000. when i went to the dealer they described the same problem with my car but vw is saying that when they put the vin number in it's not coming up on their system with a recall. i think volkswagen america should consider that maybe the problem goes further back and not dismiss it because it doesn't show up on the computer. the volkswagen dealer stated that the car needs front tie rod ends which is exactly what is described in the recall.if i got the information correct my car was mfg 11/97 which is earlier than the recall but the problem is described the same. they are saying that if its not on their computer it's not a problem. i think they should consider this is a problem. what car do you know that the tie rods wear at 56,000 miles. they also have stated the the front cv boots are torn. i want vw america to fix the tie rod problme under the recall. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer took vehicle to dealer because steering column was making some noise. dealer said control arms and tie rod end needed to be replaced, and wheels needed to be aligned. *ak | |||
| 03/30/2000 | 1 | ||
| Control arm ball joints and tie rods faulty causing noise in the front end of the vehicle. nlm | |||
| While driving consumer heard a noise coming from the front end. also, poor steering control. consumer contacted vw, dealer noted that tie rod end and control arm needed replacing. in addition, recall 99v248000/ tie rods dealt with the same problem. but,this vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak *ml | |||
| 02/01/2000 | |||
| While driving tie rods are making noise due to a defective tie rod seal not being properly applied. recall 99v248 deals with this problem. but this vehicle is not included. also, replaced the struts. dealer said that consumer would need to replace the tie rod seals. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Tie rod ends failed. nlm | |||
| Brake booster, intake air screen and tie rod end unable to be repaired under recalls due to lack of parts. nlm (98v-134,99v-131, 99v-248) | |||
| 05/01/1998 | |||
| Recall # 99v248000 vw/tie rods; owner has contacted dealer/ manufacturer twice about recall notice. manufacturer or dealer does not know when parts will be available. dealer tells owner to contact the manufacturer. manufacturer, in turn, tells owner to contact dealer. owner received notice in september 1999. *ak | |||
| Consumer received recall letter 99v248000. contacted dealer , no parts were available for 6 cylinder vehicles to correct the problem. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 1 | |||
| A squeaking noise was heard when getting out of the vehicle or when applying pressure to the hood. vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the tie rods were found to be worn out also, power steering fluid had to be added about every 60 days due to a defect in the rack and pinion. *ak | |||
| 04/18/2001 | 0 | ||
| While driving and steering could hear a loud noise. then, had taken vehicle to dealer. dealer found that rack and pinion was leaking and had to be replaced.*ak | |||
| 09/18/2000 | |||
| Took vehicle to dealer & was informed by mechanic that rack needed to be replaced due to power steering leaking fluid through it. also rotors were replaced due to excessive wear. fuel tank had collapsed & was not accepting any fuel. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Steering wheel was difficult to turn, and it was making a loud grinding noise. took to dealer, and they are going to replace rack and pinion steering. *ak | |||
| Rack and pinion steering failed due to a defective steering column. also power steering pump failed , cause unknown. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 04/04/2000 | 2 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Car leaks power steering fluid. vw told me i need a new steering rack at a cost of $681. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 09/07/2001 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| While driving and steering car would make a loud groaning noise. went to dealer. dealer found that steering rack was leaking and had to be replaced. at a cost of $930.*ak | |||
| 05/31/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| After speaking withthe service manager, parts manager, and technician at dover vw in dover, delaware-they all agreed that the power stering rack had to be replaced due to battery acid draining onto the power steering rack. they all agreed this part should not have failed in a vehicle this new and re-routed the drain outlet for the battery so that this damage could not occur again. they all agreed that the drain was positioned by the manufacturer and tried to assist me in working with volkswagon america to reimburse me for the entire repair, $920.16. after much debate with vw america, they would only offer 50% or $460.08 supposedly mailed to me 7/26/01. i believe along with vw's own trained personnel at the dealership, that this repair should have been covered in its entirety by vw, as it is the way they designed the battery drain to drain away from the battery. it is my intention to raise this concern that in the event you can recover the balance of the repair, that would be phenomenol. i also want to alert other owners they may have a potentially dangerous and expensive repair lurking under the vehicle's hood. because te acid dripped onto the steering rack, it caused a hole in the part, which caused me to loose all of my power steering fluid, which nearly caused me total loss of steering control of the vehicle. please address this problem with vw america 800 822-8987 (3)they say they review these matters internally, but refused to let me know if there were other reports although no campaigns were ever issued for this defect.*ak | |||
| 10/18/2000 | 01/01/1998 | ||
| Leaking power steering fluid, replaced reck. *cj | |||
| 10/18/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| The rack has to be replaced because the power steering fluid is leaking from it. *slc | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 01/01/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Catalytic converter replaced early on in ownership. water pump, oil pump, timing belt replaced two months ago. turbo replaced twice and still defective. electrical problems with driver's side window, heated seat, trunk light. suspension system bushings need replacement @ only 56,000 miles. steering column replaced early on. | |||
| Rack and pinion steering failed due to a defective steering column. also power steering pump failed , cause unknown. please provide further information. *ak | |||