Nearly one million Volkswagen Group vehicles in Germany could face steering-system failures due to a corroding mounting screw, according to data released by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
The defect, described as a screw-thread separation, can allow corrosion to compromise the steering's fastening bolt. Under certain environmental conditions and after prolonged exposure to road salt, the corrosion progresses to the point where steering function may be impaired in individual cases.
Affected VW models include the Tiguan, Touran, Golf Variant, Caddy and Golf, manufactured between 24 September 2013 and 1 July 2024. Worldwide, approximately 2.16 million such vehicles are potentially involved, of which nearly 900,000 are registered in Germany.
Audi confirmed that internal quality inspections identified the issue in specific production batches of the Q3, built from 31 October 2017 through 23 May 2024. Roughly 700,000 Q3s worldwide are affected, including more than 58,500 in Germany. Seat models Ateca and Tarraco, produced from April 2016 to September 2024, face the same defect, though KBA data did not initially disclose exact figures for those vehicles. No comparable findings were listed for Skoda.
Audi stated that no personal injury or further property-damage cases have been reported to date. The company has initiated a precautionary recall and is asking owners of affected vehicles to bring them to dealerships, where the corrosion-prone fastening screw will be replaced with a more resistant version.
Volkswagen did not immediately provide a statement.
The KBA originally flagged the defect through its vehicle-safety database, which was first reported by the portal t-online.de.
