- More than 85,000 MY18 VW Tiguans are being recalled because a steering rack bolt could break.
- The same problem affects 83,000 MY18-19 Volkswagen Atlas SUVs and 40,000 MY29-21 Audi Q3s.
- VW dealers will replace corrosion-prone right-hand rack bolts with corrosion-resistant versions.
The average new car is held together with thousands of clips and bolts, and while having a bit of lower dashboard trim come loose might only be annoying, some of those other fasteners are safety-critical. Like the anonymous bolt hidden away in the engine bay of multiple VW Group products that’s just forced the automaker to recall over 200,000 vehicles.
VW’s American operation is recalling 208,724 SUVs across the US because one of the bolts securing the steering rack could corrode and even break off. And if that worst-case scenario happens, the rack itself would be left hanging onto the subframe by a single remaining bolt. With enough load applied, the entire rack could fracture, VW says. Bye-bye directional control.
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Three different models are affected by this problem. Soon to be occupying the most service bay spots at your local dealership is the 2018 Tiguan, 85,713 of which are caught up in the recall. Coming in a close second is the 2018-19 Atlas. Owners of 82,601 examples can expect a letter through the mail, starting in November. And bringing up the rear are 40,410 MY29-21 Audi Q3 compact SUVs.
Strangely, only one of the bolts is at risk of immediate failure. The right-hand rack mounting bolt was found to be susceptible to moisture that could eventually cause enough corrosion to snap the bolt’s head clean off. VW says drivers might notice an unusual rattling sound or knocking noise coming from the front axle before the steering rack departs.
Don’t Fear The Freeway
It also claims the bolt is more likely to break at parking speeds, when load on the rack is high, than on the freeway, which we guess is some kind of comfort. Less comforting is the revelation that it’s taken almost two years from VW first learning about the problem in October 2024 to announce a recall.
The fix is to simply replace the right-hand steering rack bolt on all 208,724 SUVs, regardless of whether they’ve experienced any symptoms. The new, safer bolt has a stronger corrosion-resistant coating to keep the tin worm at bay and the rack held fast to the front frame.
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