Volkswagen Group of America is recalling over 208,000 vehicles in the United States due to a steering rack mounting bolt that may corrode and potentially fail, leading to a loss of steering control.
The recall impacts 208,724 SUVs, which include specific models such as the 2018 Tiguan, 2018-2019 Atlas, and 2019-2021 Audi Q3, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The Tiguan models involved were produced from March 22, 2017, to June 18, 2018. The Atlas models were manufactured between November 30, 2016, and September 22, 2018, and the Audi Q3 models were made from May 21, 2019, to July 16, 2021.
The recall pertains only to vehicles with a specific steering rack setup; models with a different configuration are not affected.
The notice indicates that the right-side mounting bolt of the steering rack can corrode if moisture gets to it. If the head of this bolt breaks, it could leave the steering rack attached to the vehicle’s subframe at just one point, which is concerning.
The NHTSA warns that if the steering rack housing fractures under continued stress, it could result in losing steering ability, significantly raising the risk of an accident.
“A broken steering rack housing can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash,” the notice from NHTSA specifies.
Interestingly, Volkswagen and Audi have stated they are not currently aware of any accidents, injuries, or fires linked to this issue.
As part of the remedy, dealerships will replace the affected right steering rack bolt with one that has a highly corrosion-resistant polymer coating, which is intended to improve durability against corrosion, and this service will be provided free of charge to vehicle owners.
Notification letters to owners are scheduled to be sent out starting November 10.
