VW and Audi Recall 2.86M Cars Over Steering Screw Corrosion

Volkswagen Group is recalling 2.86 million VW and Audi vehicles worldwide because road-salt corrosion could break a steering gear bolt and cause steering loss.

Volkswagen Group announced a precautionary recall of approximately 2.86 million Volkswagen and Audi branded vehicles worldwide after corrosion was found to potentially break a bolt securing the steering gear. The affected Volkswagen models are the Tiguan, Touran, Golf, Golf Variant and Caddy, built between September 24, 2013 and July 1, 2024, while the Audi Q3 models involved were manufactured between October 31, 2017 and May 23, 2024. The faulty screw will be replaced with a more corrosion-resistant one.

The scale is enormous for a single fastener: nearly 2.16 million Volkswagen vehicles are affected globally, including roughly 900,000 in Germany, along with more than 696,000 Audi vehicles, including 58,555 in Germany, according to Euronews. A corroded screw connection on the steering gear could, in the worst case, cause a complete loss of steering control, yet the problem stems from years of ordinary exposure to road salt and humidity rather than a manufacturing error on an assembly line. Euronews notes the recall follows an earlier Volkswagen Group action this year covering nearly 100,000 electric ID models over battery issues.

According to DW, the KBA road traffic authority said the bolts are to be replaced with ones resistant to corrosion caused by humidity, and Autor Motor Sport magazine reported that VW believes the issue would affect only a smaller proportion of the recalled vehicles. In the United States, NHTSA filings describe moisture entering the area around the right-side steering rack mounting bolt, with corrosion risk highest during parking and low-speed maneuvers where steering loads are greater.

Germany's KBA motor vehicle agency says it is not aware of any incidents involving related damage or injury, and Volkswagen has said there are no known accidents caused by the possible bolt failure, but the case is still marked as 'under investigation' with a final assessment pending. According to Yahoo Autos, Volkswagen Group of America announced a separate recall of 208,724 SUVs in the U.S. covering the 2018 Tiguan, 2018-2019 Atlas and 2019-2021 Audi Q3, in which a corroded bolt head can break apart and leave a single mounting point holding the steering rack to the subframe.

The repair takes up to an hour and is free for customers, with dealerships replacing the defective screw with a more corrosion-resistant unit. Owners who think their car may be affected can bring their vehicle identification number to an authorized workshop to check whether it is included in the recall, according to Euronews.

The KBA's 'under investigation' status means the regulator has not issued its final assessment, and both Volkswagen and Audi are treating the action as precautionary while replacement bolts are fitted at dealerships worldwide. According to Yahoo Autos, the first field report involving the defect came from outside North America in October 2024, and Volkswagen spent nearly two years investigating before deciding on a voluntary safety recall on September 4, 2026.