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 - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | ||||||||||||||||
| 05V540000 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | from 03/03/2005 to 05/05/2005 | V (Vehicle) | 15 | 12/07/2005 | MFR | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 11/30/2005 | 11/29/2005 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain passenger vehicles, the left and right tie rod securing nut may be insufficiently torqued. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | An insufficiently tightened tie rod nut may loosen, resulting in separation of a tie rod. this can cause a loss of steering control, which could cause a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect and install new left and right tie rod securing nuts at the proper torqued specification. the recall began on december 7, 2005. owners may contact volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Volkswagen recall no. m5.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 0601 | 02/17/2006 | 10019459 | Driver steering recommendations (dsr) activation and software programming for dtcs. *tt | 03/15/2006 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| TB-48-07-01 | 12/20/2007 | 10032807 | Volkswagen: steering column, electronic lock inoperative, dtc 02638012 stored in gateway control module. relay driver for enabling steering column lock-fault in electrical circuit. internal software fault with j533 data bus on board diag | 05/26/2010 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||||
| SA-4815 | 02/23/2011 | 10038593 | Volkswagen service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. when trying to start there may be an extended crank or no start. 2006-2010 passat. *rm | 06/22/2011 | |
| SA-4815 | 02/23/2011 | 10038593 | Ready | 06/22/2011 | |
| SA-48I5 | 03/10/2011 | 10038592 | Volkswagen service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. when trying to start the vehicle there is a long crank or no start condition. 2009-2010 passat. *rm | 06/22/2011 | |
| SA-48I5 | 03/10/2011 | 10038592 | Ready | 06/22/2011 | |
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| TB-48-07-01 | 12/20/2007 | 10032807 | Volkswagen: steering column, electronic lock inoperative, dtc 02638012 stored in gateway control module. relay driver for enabling steering column lock-fault in electrical circuit. internal software fault with j533 data bus on board diag | 05/26/2010 | |
| 480701 | 12/20/2007 | 10024450 | Steering column, electronic lock inoperative, dtc 02638012 stored in gateway control module. *nj | 04/15/2008 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 07/12/2011 | 83000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall with the illumination of the column steering lock warning light. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 07/12/2011 | 83000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall with the illumination of the column steering lock warning light. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 07/12/2011 | 83000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. driving at any speed, the contact stated that the vehicle would stall at anytime. the column steering lock warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel of the vehicle. the dealer nor manufacturer were notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. the vin was unavailable. nw | |||
| 01/21/2011 | |||
| When i use the key to start my 2006 volkswagen passat it will not start, the steering wheel locks and the car immobilizes. i cannot start the car from 15 minutes to 1 hour. the key will not come out. when i call for help all anyone tells me is to turn the steering wheel to the left and right, but this does not work. i have encountered this problem about 3 to 5 times a day. i purchased this car in sept. 2010 and this has happened every day since i purchased this car. when i took it back, i was told they could not find anything wrong and the car started. the engine light also comes on and they can't find anything wrong. as i write this, the car is immobolized in my garage and will not start, i have missed appointments over and over. i went on http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3656214 to try to find out how to correct this and found out that several people has or has had this problem with their volkswagen passat and the solution seems to be to replace the steering column. i do not have any money to pay for such a big job, especially since i have not had this car for six months. this car was sold with this problem. | |||
| 01/07/2011 | 78700 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2006 volswagen passad 346. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph the front end of the vehicle started shaking making it impossible for him to steer. the vehicle was towed to a local shop where they diagnosed that the left tie rod arm knot became completely loosed. the vehicle is been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted but they refused to honor the recall ( 05v540000) since the vin is not included. the failure and current mileage is 78,700. pm | |||
| 12/04/2010 | 85000 | ||
| I own a 2006 vw passat 3.6, engine died suddenly after pulling out across a 45mph state route, after engine failed, there was no steering or brakes, had to push car out of traffic with my 2 young sons inside. young vw, easton pa. stated the failure as a oil pump bolt that had backed out and sheared off, causing the catastophic engine failure. after some research i found 58 failure of this type of this same year and engine, at: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3462993-attn-3.6l-owners-has-your-engine-failed , - this is clearly an issue vw was aware of several years ago, as evidenced by the replacement or repair of so many, 58+ engines that i can document, and chooses not to recognize the issue, i believe due to financial reasons as this fix is $3,000 in labor alone. i contacted vwoa, (ref. # 810009787) and vw ag, (,ref. no.: vw-2010/12-065992) with this issue and neither had recognized this as a known issue, my vehicle is out of warranty, and vw estimated the repair at $12,800 for a rebuilt engine. aside from being abusively expensive, this failure should not be allowed to occur randomly, in traffic or anywhere creating a very unsafe and life threatening situation, vwoa should be well aware of these potential problems with this year engine, by the many they have replaced or fixed and should make the public aware and effect a fix to prevent a loss of life due to this known engine defect. my vin # wvwfu73c56p140705, 2006 vw passat 3.6l 4motion. | |||
| 11/22/2010 | 24000 | ||
| I am filing a complaint regarding the stalling issues i've experienced on my 2006 volkswagen passat 3.6l model. the description below is a historical account of the problem and how it progressed to the current state. i first noticed the issue around 8000 miles or so where the key fob would get stuck in the ignition. after reading some posts on vwforum, i worked around the intermittent issue by clicking the gear shift 3 times to disengage the key fob from the ignition. around 24k mile or so, i noticed the stalling issue immediately after the car was started. this problem was intermittent as well and seemed to occur during extrememe weather conditions - cold or hot. at this time, the error 'steerting column failure' would register intermittently. around 60k the problem progressed and the frequency of occurance increased. i reported the issue to the dealership and they were not able to reproduce the issue. looking back at the multiple blogs and forums on this topic, i believe the dealership should have been familiar enough with the issue that further research into the problem would have been warranted. i was not aware of the widespread issue at the time and did not insist on having the dealer research the issue while the car was still in warranty. the inspection fee was enough to deter me from pushing further specially if the problem could not be reproduced. currently, at 88k miles, the problem of stalling when starting can be reproduced at will. there is a workaround posted on the same vw forums of specific steps to start the car that i'm currently using. otherwise, the car does not start and the errors 'steering column failure 'immobilzer defective' is displayed consistently. we also experienced two instances of the car stalling while driving on the freeway. i believe this is caused by the same immobilizer error caused by the steering column failure as the two errors displayed when trying to restart. this is a serious and life threatening issue. | |||
| 11/17/2010 | 55328 | ||
| The problem that i am having with my 2006 volkswagen passat is that while i am driving the car shuts down completely. this has happened to me about five times this year. it has almost caused me to be in two accidents and to have to quickly pull off the road. the dealer wants me to pay $1,700 to repair it. | |||
| 11/22/2010 | 24000 | ||
| I am filing a complaint regarding the stalling issues i've experienced on my 2006 volkswagen passat 3.6l model. the description below is a historical account of the problem and how it progressed to the current state. i first noticed the issue around 8000 miles or so where the key fob would get stuck in the ignition. after reading some posts on vwforum, i worked around the intermittent issue by clicking the gear shift 3 times to disengage the key fob from the ignition. around 24k mile or so, i noticed the stalling issue immediately after the car was started. this problem was intermittent as well and seemed to occur during extrememe weather conditions - cold or hot. at this time, the error 'steerting column failure' would register intermittently. around 60k the problem progressed and the frequency of occurance increased. i reported the issue to the dealership and they were not able to reproduce the issue. looking back at the multiple blogs and forums on this topic, i believe the dealership should have been familiar enough with the issue that further research into the problem would have been warranted. i was not aware of the widespread issue at the time and did not insist on having the dealer research the issue while the car was still in warranty. the inspection fee was enough to deter me from pushing further specially if the problem could not be reproduced. currently, at 88k miles, the problem of stalling when starting can be reproduced at will. there is a workaround posted on the same vw forums of specific steps to start the car that i'm currently using. otherwise, the car does not start and the errors 'steering column failure 'immobilzer defective' is displayed consistently. we also experienced two instances of the car stalling while driving on the freeway. i believe this is caused by the same immobilizer error caused by the steering column failure as the two errors displayed when trying to restart. this is a serious and life threatening issue. | |||
| 11/17/2010 | 55328 | ||
| The problem that i am having with my 2006 volkswagen passat is that while i am driving the car shuts down completely. this has happened to me about five times this year. it has almost caused me to be in two accidents and to have to quickly pull off the road. the dealer wants me to pay $1,700 to repair it. | |||
| 11/22/2010 | 24000 | ||
| I am filing a complaint regarding the stalling issues i've experienced on my 2006 volkswagen passat 3.6l model. the description below is a historical account of the problem and how it progressed to the current state. i first noticed the issue around 8000 miles or so where the key fob would get stuck in the ignition. after reading some posts on vwforum, i worked around the intermittent issue by clicking the gear shift 3 times to disengage the key fob from the ignition. around 24k mile or so, i noticed the stalling issue immediately after the car was started. this problem was intermittent as well and seemed to occur during extrememe weather conditions - cold or hot. at this time, the error 'steerting column failure' would register intermittently. around 60k the problem progressed and the frequency of occurance increased. i reported the issue to the dealership and they were not able to reproduce the issue. looking back at the multiple blogs and forums on this topic, i believe the dealership should have been familiar enough with the issue that further research into the problem would have been warranted. i was not aware of the widespread issue at the time and did not insist on having the dealer research the issue while the car was still in warranty. the inspection fee was enough to deter me from pushing further specially if the problem could not be reproduced. currently, at 88k miles, the problem of stalling when starting can be reproduced at will. there is a workaround posted on the same vw forums of specific steps to start the car that i'm currently using. otherwise, the car does not start and the errors 'steering column failure 'immobilzer defective' is displayed consistently. we also experienced two instances of the car stalling while driving on the freeway. i believe this is caused by the same immobilizer error caused by the steering column failure as the two errors displayed when trying to restart. this is a serious and life threatening issue. | |||
| 11/17/2010 | 55328 | ||
| The problem that i am having with my 2006 volkswagen passat is that while i am driving the car shuts down completely. this has happened to me about five times this year. it has almost caused me to be in two accidents and to have to quickly pull off the road. the dealer wants me to pay $1,700 to repair it. | |||
| 11/22/2010 | 24000 | ||
| I am filing a complaint regarding the stalling issues i've experienced on my 2006 volkswagen passat 3.6l model. the description below is a historical account of the problem and how it progressed to the current state. i first noticed the issue around 8000 miles or so where the key fob would get stuck in the ignition. after reading some posts on vwforum, i worked around the intermittent issue by clicking the gear shift 3 times to disengage the key fob from the ignition. around 24k mile or so, i noticed the stalling issue immediately after the car was started. this problem was intermittent as well and seemed to occur during extrememe weather conditions - cold or hot. at this time, the error 'steerting column failure' would register intermittently. around 60k the problem progressed and the frequency of occurance increased. i reported the issue to the dealership and they were not able to reproduce the issue. looking back at the multiple blogs and forums on this topic, i believe the dealership should have been familiar enough with the issue that further research into the problem would have been warranted. i was not aware of the widespread issue at the time and did not insist on having the dealer research the issue while the car was still in warranty. the inspection fee was enough to deter me from pushing further specially if the problem could not be reproduced. currently, at 88k miles, the problem of stalling when starting can be reproduced at will. there is a workaround posted on the same vw forums of specific steps to start the car that i'm currently using. otherwise, the car does not start and the errors 'steering column failure 'immobilzer defective' is displayed consistently. we also experienced two instances of the car stalling while driving on the freeway. i believe this is caused by the same immobilizer error caused by the steering column failure as the two errors displayed when trying to restart. this is a serious and life threatening issue. | |||
| 11/17/2010 | 55328 | ||
| The problem that i am having with my 2006 volkswagen passat is that while i am driving the car shuts down completely. this has happened to me about five times this year. it has almost caused me to be in two accidents and to have to quickly pull off the road. the dealer wants me to pay $1,700 to repair it. | |||
| 11/04/2010 | 66222 | ||
| 2006 volkswagen passat - steering column lock defective error message. 1. car will not start immediately; sometimes up to 20 minutes after initiating the starting procedure. 2. failure occurs several times a week. consquence for first incident was a lost contract for an independent consulting position. car is currently out of service requiring me to use public transportation and/or walk to work and appointments. 3. issue has not been corrected. car is currently out of service. | |||
| 11/17/2010 | 55328 | ||
| The problem that i am having with my 2006 volkswagen passat is that while i am driving the car shuts down completely. this has happened to me about five times this year. it has almost caused me to be in two accidents and to have to quickly pull off the road. the dealer wants me to pay $1,700 to repair it. | |||
| 11/04/2010 | 66222 | ||
| 2006 volkswagen passat - steering column lock defective error message. 1. car will not start immediately; sometimes up to 20 minutes after initiating the starting procedure. 2. failure occurs several times a week. consquence for first incident was a lost contract for an independent consulting position. car is currently out of service requiring me to use public transportation and/or walk to work and appointments. 3. issue has not been corrected. car is currently out of service. | |||
| 11/09/2010 | 75000 | ||
| My car is 2006 vw passat - 2.0t. around 60,000miles, car becoming increasingly harder to start. but it works. and 75,000miles looks likely battery died and steering column lock defective. so i talked dealership, service guy told me it happened battery is low voltage. so i changed, but it happed same problem with new battery. i don't know it happen only my car or other vw also has same problem. when i 73,000 miles, i did it regular maintainence service, after that i felf car wasn't same because wheel side had more noise but i trusted dealer ship. dealership didn't say anything, so i thought everything ok. but after that it happened. | |||
| 03/10/2010 | 31000 | ||
| 2006 vw passat defective steering column lock warning sign and the car won't start at once. | |||
| 11/09/2010 | 75000 | ||
| My car is 2006 vw passat - 2.0t. around 60,000miles, car becoming increasingly harder to start. but it works. and 75,000miles looks likely battery died and steering column lock defective. so i talked dealership, service guy told me it happened battery is low voltage. so i changed, but it happed same problem with new battery. i don't know it happen only my car or other vw also has same problem. when i 73,000 miles, i did it regular maintainence service, after that i felf car wasn't same because wheel side had more noise but i trusted dealer ship. dealership didn't say anything, so i thought everything ok. but after that it happened. | |||
| 03/10/2010 | 31000 | ||
| 2006 vw passat defective steering column lock warning sign and the car won't start at once. | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 56000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 75 mph the vehicle stalled. she coasted over to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle but the vehicle would not start. she stated a light illuminated stating a steering column locked defect. she made 10 to 12 attempts before the vehicle restarted. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the dealer advised her that the steering column modular needed replacing. the failure was intermittent at first but became worst. she also stated that once the key got stuck in the ignition because of the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 56,000 and the current mileage was 90,000. vwb | |||
| 03/10/2010 | 31000 | ||
| 2006 vw passat defective steering column lock warning sign and the car won't start at once. | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 56000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 75 mph the vehicle stalled. she coasted over to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle but the vehicle would not start. she stated a light illuminated stating a steering column locked defect. she made 10 to 12 attempts before the vehicle restarted. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the dealer advised her that the steering column modular needed replacing. the failure was intermittent at first but became worst. she also stated that once the key got stuck in the ignition because of the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 56,000 and the current mileage was 90,000. vwb | |||
| 09/22/2010 | 72000 | ||
| 2006 vw passat has intermittent problems starting (steering column lock, etc - same as everyone else) and then one day while driving @ 55 mph, my car died. i had to try and get over to the side of the road. very scary! i tried to restart with no luck and just about the time i was ready to give up, i tried one more time (while waiting for aaa to answer the phone) and it worked. i've had it into my mechanic several times for the starting issue and the dealer gave me the replace the whole steering column thing. i have been holding off bc its so expensive and i can go for weeks or even months without having the problem, then it flairs up again in spades. my biggest concern now is the motor cutting out on me again while i'm driving. there should be a recall based on the hundreds of complaints for this same issue. | |||
| 09/30/2010 | 38000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact stated the ignition would start after several attempts. the steering wheel lock defective message illuminated on the instrument panel intermittently. the failure occurred seven different times. the dealer was notified of the failures and they informed that there was not a problem if the warning indicator does not remain illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 38,000. js | |||
| 10/13/2010 | 38000 | ||
| I had a steering wheel lock defective warning light come up in my car, the car also would not start. after numverous attempts, it started. i called my dealer and he said he had no knowledge of the car having this problem. volkswagen of american too had no knowledge of this problem. i googled the problem online and found thousands of people having this problem no only here in the states but all over the whole where the car was sold. my car only had the warning and the no start problem. but many others were complaining that the car would shut down while traveling at a high rate of speed. i can't believe volkswagen won't acknowledge the problem. my car is a 2006 passat with only 38,000 miles. something should be done here. | |||
| 09/30/2010 | 38000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact stated the ignition would start after several attempts. the steering wheel lock defective message illuminated on the instrument panel intermittently. the failure occurred seven different times. the dealer was notified of the failures and they informed that there was not a problem if the warning indicator does not remain illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 38,000. js | |||
| 10/13/2010 | 38000 | ||
| I had a steering wheel lock defective warning light come up in my car, the car also would not start. after numverous attempts, it started. i called my dealer and he said he had no knowledge of the car having this problem. volkswagen of american too had no knowledge of this problem. i googled the problem online and found thousands of people having this problem no only here in the states but all over the whole where the car was sold. my car only had the warning and the no start problem. but many others were complaining that the car would shut down while traveling at a high rate of speed. i can't believe volkswagen won't acknowledge the problem. my car is a 2006 passat with only 38,000 miles. something should be done here. | |||
| 09/30/2010 | 38000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact stated the ignition would start after several attempts. the steering wheel lock defective message illuminated on the instrument panel intermittently. the failure occurred seven different times. the dealer was notified of the failures and they informed that there was not a problem if the warning indicator does not remain illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 38,000. js | |||
| 10/13/2010 | 38000 | ||
| I had a steering wheel lock defective warning light come up in my car, the car also would not start. after numverous attempts, it started. i called my dealer and he said he had no knowledge of the car having this problem. volkswagen of american too had no knowledge of this problem. i googled the problem online and found thousands of people having this problem no only here in the states but all over the whole where the car was sold. my car only had the warning and the no start problem. but many others were complaining that the car would shut down while traveling at a high rate of speed. i can't believe volkswagen won't acknowledge the problem. my car is a 2006 passat with only 38,000 miles. something should be done here. | |||
| 09/30/2010 | 38000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact stated the ignition would start after several attempts. the steering wheel lock defective message illuminated on the instrument panel intermittently. the failure occurred seven different times. the dealer was notified of the failures and they informed that there was not a problem if the warning indicator does not remain illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 38,000. js | |||
| 10/13/2010 | 38000 | ||
| I had a steering wheel lock defective warning light come up in my car, the car also would not start. after numverous attempts, it started. i called my dealer and he said he had no knowledge of the car having this problem. volkswagen of american too had no knowledge of this problem. i googled the problem online and found thousands of people having this problem no only here in the states but all over the whole where the car was sold. my car only had the warning and the no start problem. but many others were complaining that the car would shut down while traveling at a high rate of speed. i can't believe volkswagen won't acknowledge the problem. my car is a 2006 passat with only 38,000 miles. something should be done here. | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 50000 | ||
| My car has had starting issues since i have had ti. sometimes, everytime i would try to start it it would not start and give me the locked steering column message. it would stop doing this for several months and then start again. finally, after 100,000 it stopped completely and would not start. it is $600 to fix it but it seems like a lot of people have this issue and they had a recall on the steering column. what can i do? | |||
| 04/05/2010 | 55000 | ||
| Vw, 2006 passat, now has a steering column defect warning, and the car doesn't start. the car has 60,000 miles on it, and this started just after the 50,000 mile warranty expired. the car also stalls at high speed when this light comes on without warning, and can cause a serious accident. the car also has a problem with downshifting when on the highway, and slams into low gear as though the car hit something. the dealer cannot find the problem when the car is put on the diagnostic computer. i have read many other complaints on the internet about these same issues with the 2006 passat, and found that the fix for the steeting column alone costs between $1400 and $2000. because this appears to be a factory defect, and it is a safety issue, i wanted to report it as such. although there hasn't been an accident caused in my case, the potential for disaster is huge. i'm afraid to drive the car, because this is a recurring problem, and can happen at any time. | |||
| 08/12/2010 | 72000 | ||
| My daughter owns a 2006 volkswagen passet. recently the key box, has not always worked to start the car. it has become very undependable. i took it to my mechanic and he checked everything and could find nothing wrong. he thought it might be the chip in the key that had a problem and maybe the key needed to be reprogrammed. she starting using her other key and there was no problem for a few weeks. called about having the key reprogrammed and the local volkswagen dealership in braintree thought it wasn't the problem. the car wouldn't start again and took the car back to the mechanic and googled the problem and discovered many websites where there were descriptions of the same problem and all when the car had just gone past the warranty and all were attributed to the steering column locking up. all were solved if the owners were willing to pay $1500-$2000 to replace the steering column. this has been going on for years according to the information i read. i think this is outrageous. the car only has 72,000 miles and is only 4 years old. in the process of contacting the main volkswagen office to complain, but according to all the people and sites i found on the web, they were of no help. | |||
| 04/05/2010 | 55000 | ||
| Vw, 2006 passat, now has a steering column defect warning, and the car doesn't start. the car has 60,000 miles on it, and this started just after the 50,000 mile warranty expired. the car also stalls at high speed when this light comes on without warning, and can cause a serious accident. the car also has a problem with downshifting when on the highway, and slams into low gear as though the car hit something. the dealer cannot find the problem when the car is put on the diagnostic computer. i have read many other complaints on the internet about these same issues with the 2006 passat, and found that the fix for the steeting column alone costs between $1400 and $2000. because this appears to be a factory defect, and it is a safety issue, i wanted to report it as such. although there hasn't been an accident caused in my case, the potential for disaster is huge. i'm afraid to drive the car, because this is a recurring problem, and can happen at any time. | |||
| 08/12/2010 | 72000 | ||
| My daughter owns a 2006 volkswagen passet. recently the key box, has not always worked to start the car. it has become very undependable. i took it to my mechanic and he checked everything and could find nothing wrong. he thought it might be the chip in the key that had a problem and maybe the key needed to be reprogrammed. she starting using her other key and there was no problem for a few weeks. called about having the key reprogrammed and the local volkswagen dealership in braintree thought it wasn't the problem. the car wouldn't start again and took the car back to the mechanic and googled the problem and discovered many websites where there were descriptions of the same problem and all when the car had just gone past the warranty and all were attributed to the steering column locking up. all were solved if the owners were willing to pay $1500-$2000 to replace the steering column. this has been going on for years according to the information i read. i think this is outrageous. the car only has 72,000 miles and is only 4 years old. in the process of contacting the main volkswagen office to complain, but according to all the people and sites i found on the web, they were of no help. | |||
| 04/05/2010 | 55000 | ||
| Vw, 2006 passat, now has a steering column defect warning, and the car doesn't start. the car has 60,000 miles on it, and this started just after the 50,000 mile warranty expired. the car also stalls at high speed when this light comes on without warning, and can cause a serious accident. the car also has a problem with downshifting when on the highway, and slams into low gear as though the car hit something. the dealer cannot find the problem when the car is put on the diagnostic computer. i have read many other complaints on the internet about these same issues with the 2006 passat, and found that the fix for the steeting column alone costs between $1400 and $2000. because this appears to be a factory defect, and it is a safety issue, i wanted to report it as such. although there hasn't been an accident caused in my case, the potential for disaster is huge. i'm afraid to drive the car, because this is a recurring problem, and can happen at any time. | |||
| 08/12/2010 | 72000 | ||
| My daughter owns a 2006 volkswagen passet. recently the key box, has not always worked to start the car. it has become very undependable. i took it to my mechanic and he checked everything and could find nothing wrong. he thought it might be the chip in the key that had a problem and maybe the key needed to be reprogrammed. she starting using her other key and there was no problem for a few weeks. called about having the key reprogrammed and the local volkswagen dealership in braintree thought it wasn't the problem. the car wouldn't start again and took the car back to the mechanic and googled the problem and discovered many websites where there were descriptions of the same problem and all when the car had just gone past the warranty and all were attributed to the steering column locking up. all were solved if the owners were willing to pay $1500-$2000 to replace the steering column. this has been going on for years according to the information i read. i think this is outrageous. the car only has 72,000 miles and is only 4 years old. in the process of contacting the main volkswagen office to complain, but according to all the people and sites i found on the web, they were of no help. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 98000 | ||
| 2006 vw passat 2.0 turbo difficult to start taking several tries. steering colum lock immobilizer activated code shown. vehicle will now not start at all. called dealership and informed of steering column failure need to be replaced at $1800. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 65000 | ||
| I have a 2006 volkswagen passat 2.0t with 65,000 miles on it. for the past several days i've been receiving several error messages from the hud / heads-up display: defective steering column lock and immobilizer active. this is always accompanied by the car firing for a few seconds and then stalling out. attempting to start the car again immediately only results in a strange and loud on/off clicking type sound (as if it's trying to unlock the steering wheel and failing to do so). waiting 2-3 minutes and trying again usually seems to do the trick, but today the car wouldn't start at all. had to have it towed to the dealer and have the entire steering column replaced-- nearly $2000 in repairs. of course, curiosity got the best of me, and i decided to research into this a bit more. turns out there are literally hundreds of thousands of posts online of vw customers having the exact same problem with the exact same year and model. it's sort of insulting, especially learning that vw initiated a recall in ireland for the same issue, just not in the united states. this has class-action law suit written all over it. obviously i was not harmed by this defect, but i can see how it *could* harm somebody, and read of several other victims who have had this happen in the middle of rush hour traffic. it's only a matter of time. it's just sad that it takes something as awful as personal injury, death or property damage before somebody steps up and takes action. this is not right... | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 98000 | ||
| 2006 vw passat 2.0 turbo difficult to start taking several tries. steering colum lock immobilizer activated code shown. vehicle will now not start at all. called dealership and informed of steering column failure need to be replaced at $1800. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 65000 | ||
| I have a 2006 volkswagen passat 2.0t with 65,000 miles on it. for the past several days i've been receiving several error messages from the hud / heads-up display: defective steering column lock and immobilizer active. this is always accompanied by the car firing for a few seconds and then stalling out. attempting to start the car again immediately only results in a strange and loud on/off clicking type sound (as if it's trying to unlock the steering wheel and failing to do so). waiting 2-3 minutes and trying again usually seems to do the trick, but today the car wouldn't start at all. had to have it towed to the dealer and have the entire steering column replaced-- nearly $2000 in repairs. of course, curiosity got the best of me, and i decided to research into this a bit more. turns out there are literally hundreds of thousands of posts online of vw customers having the exact same problem with the exact same year and model. it's sort of insulting, especially learning that vw initiated a recall in ireland for the same issue, just not in the united states. this has class-action law suit written all over it. obviously i was not harmed by this defect, but i can see how it *could* harm somebody, and read of several other victims who have had this happen in the middle of rush hour traffic. it's only a matter of time. it's just sad that it takes something as awful as personal injury, death or property damage before somebody steps up and takes action. this is not right... | |||
| 02/03/2010 | 70000 | ||
| All of a sudden car would not start, would try over and over and it would finally start. eventually it would not start at all. was told i had a defective steering column. was also told that there would likely be a recall and i would be reimbursed the $2000 i had to spend to get it fixed. | |||
| 06/17/2010 | 57000 | ||
| 2006 vw passat experiencing steering wheel column lock failure. the light comes on and the car will not start. sometimes the car will simply turn off when driving down the road. my online research found that this is a common problem with 2006, 2007, 2008 models. this is also a safety issue because the car will sometimes contune running after the key is pulled out of the ignition. dealersship service departments all over the country are replacing the steering column and control module for $1500 and this normally happens outside of factory warranty so we the consumers are stuck with the bill. please look into this as this should be a safety recall! and not the financial responsibility of the owners. | |||
| 06/12/2010 | 58000 | ||
| Symptom #1) car will not start or if it does start it will immediately stall and steering column will lock. after moving the steering wheel back and forth repeatedly, reopening the door several times and attempting to start the push ignition 5-10 times it will eventually start and run. symptom #2) major safety issue! car will lose all power without warning at highway speeds. this defect causes the engine to stall immediately, the loss of power steering and the loss of all power controls at speeds at least up to 70 mph. there is no warning from the car itself. there is no stuttering or noise. suddenly the car is just dead and rolling along at extreme speeds. the fix is to shift the car into neutral and attempt to restart by removing and reinserting the key until it starts again. the dashboard will light up steering column defect and prompt a warning light for the steering column as if it were locked from a car alarm prompt. occasionally, i have been unable to restart the car while in motion and have had to pull off to the side of the road. this is done without the aid of power steering and can be very dangerous in traffic and at high speeds as there is no way of knowing when the defect will occur. this defect is occurring daily. i took the car into the dealer for diagnosis. was told it was a defect in the steering column requiring a complete replacement. estimated cost to myself was $1,000-2,000. car is now out of warranty (58,000 miles). i believe this defect is not a result of any habit of myself as the driver but rather a defect in the workmanship of the vehicle and the dealer should be subject to a recall. a search on google about this issue revealed thousands of other drivers with the exact same problem (stall at highway speeds, loss of power steering, difficulty starting and restarting, possible stranding of the driver). i urge a recall to move forward immediately! | |||
| 06/06/2010 | 51898 | ||
| 2006 volkswagen passat. car will not start and the stearing colum locks up. then at times the car will not shut off and key gets stuck in the ignition. this happens at least once a day. | |||
| 04/10/2010 | 81000 | ||
| My 2006 vw passat 2.0 turbo has steering column issues. the car will not start without moving the sterring wheel, and then waiting and keep on trying. the car will start then immediately stall, with an error in the message board that the steering column is defective. this happens 9 times out of 10 when going to start the car. the car has died while driving on the highway, and then restarts. i have seen this issue reported by many other consumers on various forums and complaint sites, but vw refuses to recall for the issue. | |||
| 04/03/2010 | 67500 | ||
| Vw passat 2006 2.0t steering wheel lock failure light. comes on and does not allow you to start the car. | |||
| 11/21/2009 | 90000 | ||
| 2006 passat starts and stall immediately. steering column lock defect. dealer wants $2000.00 to replace it along with comfort sensor. | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 68856 | 1 | |
| Steering wheel column lock error on computer of 2006 vw passat. car stalls anytime this light warning comes on. it has come on while driving causing it to stall at high speeds making it hard to steer to the right shoulder safely. this issue has caused two incidents while in highway traffic and was a near miss accident each time. it occurs on a daily basis now and was intermittent at first. i was told that the fix is to replace the entire steering column which is about $2k. to get the car started again, you have to move the steering column back and forth and after about 4-10 attempts to start, the car will start. there is no warning, it just stalls when this issue arises. it has stalled at a rail road crossing which has a stopping point before you cross. very unsafe situation, i work for the united states air force as a safety investigator and if this existed in our air force we would have an immediate recall. this matter needs to be pushed forward and investigated. after researching this issue i have noticed multiple forums stating the same issues and same complaints. *tr | |||
| 02/03/2010 | 36000 | ||
| My wife's car 2006 passat has been starting and then stalling immediately. a warning light comes on indicating steering column lock defect. it was fine for a week or two, then it started occurring several times a week. i took car to repair shop and was told that problem would need a dealership repair shop to correct. after doing some online searches for problems of this nature i noticed many owners were having same problem and were told that the steering column and comfort sensor would both have to be replaced, estimates from $1200 to $2000 dollars for repair. our car is out of warrantee as of feb, 2010 but has less than 50,000 miles on it. reports from mechanics say a person can get stranded at any time, but if car starts it will not fail while driving. this replacement should not be at the cost of the owner. please investigate occurances and request a recall for defective new vehicle electrical equipment/ steering column. | |||
| 05/01/2010 | 79400 | ||
| 06 vw passat steering column lock indicator light on. message reads steering column locked take to workshop. we have had the meesage a couple times before. wondering about a recall to have this very common problem fixed. | |||
| 03/05/2010 | 60000 | ||
| 1a. i inserted the key fod and the steering wheel light on the instrument panel flashed yellow and the mfd on the instrument panel said, steering column lock malfunction. go to vw dealer immediately 1b. other times, it's the same, but the steering wheel light flashes with red light. 1c. other times, i must insert the key fod anywhere from 5-20 times before the car even starts. the car won't start and i must repeat the process until it does. 2. it occurs at least 5-9 times per week with the yellow light flasing, 3-5 times a week with red light flashing, and 1-3 times per week when i must repeat the inserting of key fod to turn on. 3a. the vw dealer says they have seen this problem and it usually runs $1500-$2200 to fix. they said they usually replace the steering column module (computer board stuff) and the steering column as well. they say the problem is cause by the module going bad and not responding and telling the computer to turn the car on. 3b. th vw corporate customer care said they cannot help because warranty has expired. i have about 60k miles and warranty expired at 50k miles. please go to this thread to see how common this problem is: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3656214 | |||
| 03/16/2010 | 69500 | ||
| Steering wheel column lock error on computer of 2006 vw passat. i did research on the internet regarding this and its an known issue among many owners of this troublesome car. its not fair to have to pay of $ 1500 for something the mfg built defectively. | |||
| 03/23/2010 | 76000 | ||
| My car keeps getting the message, steering column defective message in the mfd. the car will not start on more than six times now. whenever, the message steering column defective comes on, the car will not start. i did a google search regarding this problme, and many people online expressed the same problem with their vehicles. | |||
| 04/02/2010 | 38000 | ||
| My 2006 vw passat has a steering column lock error and the dealership said that there has been lots of the 2006 vw passats with the same problem but no recall yet. if i don't get it fix it will stop while driving, and this is a huge safety issue. | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 40000 | 1 | |
| I am very disappointed with the fact that vw has failed to offer a recall for 2006 passat steering column and comfort module malfunction. thousands have been replaced, safety issue is a potentially stranded driver. *tr | |||
| 12/20/2008 | 10000 | 1 | |
| Brand new vehicle, 06 vw passat, drove it for about 9 months--then, car starting dying suddenly after being stopped (at a red light) then accelerating once light turned green. wouldn't sputter or choke--just die. took it to vw to check into it--they tried to convince me it was the gas i was putting into my car--but it wasn't. finally, after 34 consecutive days in the shop, the dealership admitted there was a problem, but didn't know how to fix it. i talked with vw headquarters. they offered me $300. i explained that the car was dying--completely quitting on me--in the middle of intersections--and how many near miss accidents i had avoided--so $300 wasn't going to cut it--but vw claimed it was not a safety issue. i explained further that because the car was intermittently doing this, i would lose all steering, all control of the vehicle--still, vw would not admit to there being an issue. out of sheer panic, i called the dealership and convinced them to get me a new car. i believe the dealership re-sold my old car, the one they didn't know how to fix. a year later, a friend of mine had the exact same issue happen with her 92 jetta. her mechanic said it was the ignition coils and replaced them. now, a year later, vw sent a notice to me in the mail saying it is not a recall but they wanted us to replace the ignition coils only if a certain light indicator goes on in the car. i never had such a light go on in my old car, so i thought this was ridiculous and took my current vw vehicle in to replace the ignition coils anyway. thankfully, the dealership did it for me, because they knew my history. the notice from vw clearly states that they only want you to replace them if the light goes on in your car and you only had until a certain date (feb. 28th) to do it. still seems to be no acknowledgement from vw that there is a serious safety issue at hand. *tr | |||
| 02/24/2010 | 36000 | 1 | |
| For the past few months my steering column light has been flashing on and off. it states steering column defect. sometimes the light turns off after i restart my car a few times. i figured it was an electric issue. now for the past week or so, my car has problems turning on and it continues to state steering column defective. it took 10 times to get my car started today. my steering column light, battery light, parking brake light and engine all came on each time i tried to start my car without success. i took it to the dealership and before i finished explaining myself, they knew exactly what was wrong. they will have to replace my steering column. they told me it would be very expensive to fix, but my car is certified so it may be covered. there are over 40 complaints regarding this issue and volkswagen needs to recall whatever is causing this problem! *tr | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 30000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2006 vw passat 2.0t with 30,000 miles. i've had the following problems over the last year, key will not come out in park, steering wheel locks, car continues to run even without the key in the ignition. i brought these items to the dealer's attention, but was brushed off because they couldn't get the vehicle to do it again. now the power steering warning light is on. vw dealership says i need a new steering column. if not replaced, the steering wheel could lock while driving. i was told replacing the steering column should fix all the above problems. *tr | |||
| 10/10/2007 | 1 | ||
| 1st occurrence, steering column lock warning came on upon ignition, immediately disabled the car. tried again several times before it eventually started. same problem occurred several times a week with increasing frequency until it eventually happened in rush hour traffic, while the car was running and in motion. the problem currently happens every time the car is started. we first reported the problem to dealer a in october of 2007, however, because they could not replicate our complaint, they treated it as an isolated event. we continued to report the problem at every service visit to dealer a, without resolution. upon taking the car to dealer b, they reported that the steering column module and comfort module are both defective, causing the steering column lock. dealer b also stated that they see 2-3 cars a week for the steering column lock defect and that the repair would cost $1500, despite that we first reported the problem while under warranty. upon further investigation, a temporary method to circumvent the problem before the car is started was discovered on a forum full of hundreds of reports from other passat owners with the same defect. (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3656214&page=1) additionally, vw ireland has developed a simple software fix for the problem that was covered in a major irish national news publication, however vw america denies such a fix exists and refuses to cooperate with vw ireland or local dealers or issue a recall. this is clearly an issue wherein an inexpensive software fix would cause vw to either lose out on a $1500 mechanical repair and have to reimburse those who have already paid for the fix. consequently, they refuse to acknowledge the prevalence of the defect which would result in a recall. *tr | |||
| 01/30/2010 | 80000 | 2 | |
| For 2 times the steering column lock and a warning light on the dash had appeared. may cause steering well malfunction. risk of lose control. after restart the engine the problem was gone, no errors on ecu. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Vw 2006 passat 2.0 t steering column defective signal and the car doesn't start. after doing internet search, it seems many other customers are having the same problem with passats and jettas. it seems the vw company should have a recall and fix this problem this seems to be generalized. many of us are being told to replace the whole unit to have solution. *tr | |||
| 12/27/2009 | 92442 | 1 | |
| My 2006 passat will shut down while driving and he steering lock light will come on prior to this happening. very concerned about my family's safety. *tr | |||
| 04/13/2007 | 17815 | 1 | |
| 12/07/2009 | 72000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. while driving on a bridge at approximately 40 mph the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel, and then the vehicle stalled. after a few minutes he was able to restart the vehicle. he will take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. a report was filed with the manufacturer, but he was not provided with any assistance. the failure and current mileages were 72,000. | |||
| 11/12/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| 2006 passat sedan defective steering column message in dashboard monitor. *tr | |||
| 10/19/2009 | 54400 | 1 | |
| 2006 passat that won't start and has steering column defective light come on. told i need new column and comfort control module also for $1500.00 that i don't have. i am so sick of this car. lots of big problems but they were under warranty, now i am out of warranty by 5000 miles. this should be a recall with so many customers having the same problem. *tr | |||
| 10/27/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| My 2006 volkswagen passat sometimes will not start-- steering column lock defect is the error message. this has left my car inoperable on several occasions,... eventually it does start. i am planning to have the steering column replaced for $1500. this happens almost everyday now. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2009 | 67000 | 1 | |
| I own a vw passat 2006 and keep getting a steering wheel column lock defective message in my hud. this stalls out the car and takes restarts of ignition just to be able to drive. i have read this is a very common problem and costs around1500 dollars to fix. this is unacceptable and unnecessary expense on the consumer end when vw should really back there product better. *tr | |||
| 09/13/2009 | 40000 | 1 | |
| My dash keeps telling me steering column lock is defective. my car won't start half the time. i have to leave my car running if i plan on getting right back in. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Defective steering column lock message keeps coming up on 2006 vw passat started happening over the summer now 1 1/2 months later it is happening more frequently. *tr | |||
| 09/03/2009 | 67000 | 1 | |
| 1) the car has 67,000 miles and it has been serviced every 5,000 miles as advised by the manufacturer. 2) the car wouldn't start and it came up with a warning message that read steering column lock failure. it came only once, but failure of this stationary part could result in locking the steering wheel while driving. as per thousands of blog threads, this is a common problem on volkswagen passats. 3) the part had to be replaced and the manufacturer (volkswagen) no longer uses the same part. they use a new improved part that doesn't seem to have this problem. *tr | |||
| 08/24/2009 | 39000 | 1 | |
| Every couple of days, 'steering column defective' message appears on 2006 vw passat screen, and car won't start. after 5 or 6 tries the car eventually starts. i see postings similar to this in many internet forums regarding 2006 passat. *tr | |||
| 08/05/2009 | 57000 | 1 | |
| Volkswagen 2006 2.0t passat has a defective steering wheel lock that is very dangerous. i know of numerous passat 2006 drivers with the same problem. it is unsafe and this should be recalled. thank god i was not driving when it occurred. it is very expensive to fix and i am just out of the warranty. it is unfair and unsafe. it has happened to so many passat drivers. please do something. the car was difficult to tow because everything is locked up on the car, couldn't put it into neutral, all wheels were locked, brakes,etc. the service person at the dealership said that the keys are not being read by the car and the steering wheel column needs to be replaced for over $1300. i can not afford to pay for this especially since it is a vw defect. *tr | |||
| 07/14/2009 | 64000 | 1 | |
| 2006 vw passat 3.6 4-motion. 65k miles. steering column lock failure. while on my honeymoon trip with my new wife to vancouver b.c. my car failed to start as usual. key is placed in dash and pressed into starting position. car starts and then abruptly engine stops. very intermittent. problem is worrying because it could potentially happen while driving in traffic. *tr | |||
| 07/19/2009 | 92000 | 1 | |
| 2006 vw passat 2.0t. steering column lock failure. *tr | |||
| 07/30/2008 | 42305 | 1 | |
| On several occasions leading up to 07-30-08, vehicle would not start properly. vw reprogrammed keys but refused to cover costs even though vehicle was still under warranty. around april 2009, vehicle began having problems cranking again. vehicle would start then the engine would immediately die, but not every time. condition got worse at the beginning of june and had the battery and alternator checked out. they were fine. on one occasion the vehicle computer gave a steering wheel lock defective error. took vehicle back to dealer on 06-16-2009. this time they said steering column control module and comfort module would need to be replaced and that this problem was not related to earlier problem that should have been covered under warranty. had vehicle repaired at different vw dealer at own cost. i kept the old parts. *tr | |||
| 06/25/2009 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Car would not start when key was inserted. problem was very intermittent at first and then became more and more common. then sometimes the car would start but stop immediately. dealers at first told me that they had never heard of this but now state that the car requires a new steering column. *tr | |||
| 06/22/2009 | 105460 | 1 | |
| Having issues with steering column lock, car never starts, takes multiple tries to get it to start. saving money to pay for 1500.00 repair. while driving to work on monday june 22 @ 72 mph, the vehicle turned off. this was extremely scary due to being on major highway at such a speed. i almost did not make it to the side of the road without being struck from behind. the vehicle took several attempts from there to start again. *tr | |||
| 04/15/2009 | 50000 | 1 | |
| Electronic steering column continues to produce warning lights after being sent in for service. warning message that electronic steering lock is defective continues coming on. error message causes the car to not start, sometimes taking 2-10 restarts to get the car running. power assistance and electronic steering can fail (according to the owner's manual) if this problem is not fixed. could cause personal injury to self and others or damage to the vehicle if this is not fixed. have researched problem on the internet and found several other owners with the same problem. dealerships seem to have difficulty diagnosing and repairs are very costly. entire steering column must be replaced at a cost of $1,500-2,600. seems to be a common problem for this year and make, and may cause significant damage if not fixed. *tr | |||
| 05/20/2009 | 42000 | 1 | |
| The car suddenly wouldn't start. there was no forewarning. steering column lock defective warning appeared on the in-dash console. the car wouldn't start. i removed the key and tried after a few minutes, and the car started okay. this happened a few times in the stretch of one week or so. i took the car to the dealer and they replaced the entire steering column. *tr | |||
| 06/16/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| Car will not start, dashboard warning steering column lock failure i have had this problem for quite some time and i think it's about time to do something about it as this appears to be a common problem with b6 passat owners. the problem is most likely faulty contacts yet the whole steering column is replaced by volkswagen and could cost up to $2000.. *tr | |||
| 06/08/2009 | 58000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2006 vw passat, among many issues with this model and year, the most recent and my serious concern for safety is the steering column lock defective the car sometimes will not start at all or will start and immediately die. i did some research online and was shocked by the number of vw customers that had the same issue and nothing has been done yet! the cost to fix this is in the upwards of $1500. one the car is only 3 years old and two there seems to be a pattern here that this is a vw defective issue! this is a safety concern, i am pregnant and can't even get home after driving to work or the store! i feel vw has an ethical responsibility to fix this recurring problem! i hope you can pursue this. *tr | |||
| 05/26/2009 | 56500 | 1 | |
| When i attempt to start my car, it will initially turn over but will then shut down. the in dash computer states a steering wheel lock failure. the dealership informed me that the problem was with a module in the steering column and that the repair bill would be $2000.00. they also confirmed that another one of their customers had the same problem, except that the steering locked up on them while driving. the gentle i spoke with explained that the steering wheel locking up can also occur with mine. he then stated that vw america was going to pay for approximately 800.00 of the repair bill and i will have to cover the rest. *tr | |||
| 05/02/2009 | 54000 | 1 | |
| I am the second owner of a 2006 vw passat, who has had multiple issues with this vehicle. the latest being of most concern. when i attempt to start the car, it will either not turn over at all, or the engine turn over, then die. this happens nearly everytime i am in the car. my vehicle is 4,000 miles outside of the warranty, so neithervolkswagon, nor my local vw dealer will assist me with the cost (being an | |||
| 02/28/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle will not start 70% of the time. vehicle stalls once started. problem is getting worse. quote was provided to repair, but parts are very expensive. *tr | |||
| 05/11/2009 | 63000 | 2 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the steering column locks up on her vehicle and prevents it from being driven. she attempted to start the engine and an indicator illuminated, which stated that the steering column was locked. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the steering column was defective and needed a module. the repair would cost $1,300. the failure mileage was 63,000. updated 05/27/09 *bf updated 06/08/09 *bf updated 6/16/09 *nj the left rear caliper needed to be replaced,the check engine light illuminated, the transmission was making a loud noise, the tire pressure light illuminated, the left turn signal did not work, the left wheel bearing needed to be replaced, the hood release lever inside the vehicle was inoperative. updated 06/17/09.*jb | |||
| 05/18/2009 | 69000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact attempted to start the ignition and the steering wheel began to lock up. there were two warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the messages displayed were embolizater activated move steering wheel and steering lock defective. in addition, the ignition key was stuck and failed to release. the failures occured without warning. the driver disconnected and reconnected the battery cable to start the vehicle. the vehicle stalled between six to ten times while in operation. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was towed from her residence to an independent mechanic. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 69,000. | |||
| 05/04/2009 | 64701 | 1 | |
| 2006 vw passat 2.0t steering column problem indicated by warning message in dashboard. we've seen this message on and off over several days. according to service advisor at the vw dealer the steering column will lock. therefore, it needs to be replaced. the estimate is 1,500.00 dlls. i did a web search to see if other owners have the same problem. i was amazed by the number of people complaining about this and so far there is no recall from vw for what is appears a design error. *tr | |||
| 04/17/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Car intermittently will not start for several minutes, and display reads steering column lock defective. has happened dozens of times. dealer denies anything wrong with car after inspection. *tr | |||
| 12/26/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| 2006 vw passat steering lock failure..will cost me 1500 to fix even though there are countless pages of people have the same problem with car. volkswagen does not recognize it as big enough for a recall. *tr | |||
| 10/23/2008 | 61000 | 1 | |
| 2006 vw passat steering wheel lock defective. car will not start consistency. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| Gosh where do i start vw passat 51000 miles alot of things went wrong.. car starter volks came out causing the starter to break my trunk doesn't close pops open in the middle of road/freeway causing me to loose thing from my trunk extremely dangerous in the freeway my steering wheel lock is defected does not lock i have called numerous of vw dealer ships and they want to charge me cause its warranty expired and for steering lock i went before warranty and they want to charge me 90 dollars i don't have that kind of money lying around i have car payment. ins ect... im scared if something was to happened while me driving with my kids. *tr | |||
| 12/14/2008 | 51000 | 1 | |
| Back in the summer of 2008, i was having minimal issues with having the key stick into the ignition. i was able easily push the key in and take it back out without a problem. around december 2008 i had a steering column lock defective appear on my dashboard and my car shut off. this continues to happen about once every 10 times i turn the car on. i took it to the volkswagen dealership and it was stated that the electronic steering column needs to be replaced as well as the comfort system module. total cost: $1,500. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| 2006 vw passat with steering issue. message in dash indicates steering column lock defective. local vw dealership says entire steering column needs to be replaced at my cost since car is out of warranty with 69,000 miles. cost of repair is close to $2,000. the car has problems starting daily because of the issue. after searching various internet sites it looks like other 2006 passat owners are having the same issue. i have contacted vw of america, trying to have them cover the cost of the repair. i was told by the dealership that this is an electrical issue/defect. it sounds like a common trend for the 2006 model and should possibly be a recall. *tr | |||
| 12/28/2008 | 30200 | 1 | |
| I was driving my vw passat 2006 2.0t today with my two children in the car. we stopped for a short break. when i restarted the car, i got the steering column lock defective message on the car computer. after i restarted the car a couple of times, the message was gone. when i checked the passat owners forum, i realized this is a very common problem for this car. i decided to inform nhtsa about it. i will see the dealer tomorrow to rectify the problem. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 42000 | 1 | |
| Steering column lock defective causing the car to shut off very often. vw dealer replacing the steering column and computer under warranty. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 61000 | 1 | |
| Steering column lock failure, 2006 volkswagen passat 2.0t at 61,000 miles, vehicle started shutting itself off one second after starting with no message. within 500 miles, diagnostic message reported steering column lock failure. vehicle is 2,000 miles out of warranty (less then 1 year old), dealer insist on replacing steering column, steering column lock, steering column lock control module and the convenience control module for a total of $2400. i have found on various internet forums multiple identical incidents. this steering wheel lock is and was defective from the start and vw has an obligation to make it right. *tr | |||
| 09/11/2008 | 56000 | 1 | |
| When trying to start our 2006 passat the info panel shows steering wheel defective. a quick google search came up with 4 of the same situations in 2006 passats on one site. solution is to replace the steering column at $1700. this obviously is not an isolated issue. it's also a safety issue. vw told the dealer they would pay for the part only for good faith. no, it's a factory defect from the start which is also a huge potential safety hazard. they should be held responsible for the complete cost in addition to a recall. *tr | |||
| 10/31/2006 | 1700 | 1 | |
| I bought a car brand new and ever since 1700 miles it's been having electrical problems. first it started with windows not wanting to roll up, they'd roll down first then up. my radio was stuck on loud and would not turn off or down or change radio stations. the parking brake (electrical) engaged on me while i was driving on the freeway, a hose came undone at 18k miles on the freeway and caused heavy convulsing. the steering wheel lock randomly had errors, the airbag has errors, the transmission downshifted very rough which made me jolt in the car and started making my neck sore. for every incident my car has been to the dealer to be fixed, they fix the problem and a new one happens a week later. i am a valet and other vw owners say the same things happen to their cars. so i know i have a legit complaint here. *tr | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 06/06/2009 | 78000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the check steering light illuminated on the instrument panel. she took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the steering column failed. the column needed to be replaced at the cost of $1,200. a report was filed with the manufacturer and they offered to assist with 30% of the repair cost. the current and failure mileages were 78,000. | |||