Volkswagen expanded recall: about 4 million cars may be sent to service

Volkswagen Group is preparing a large-scale service campaign that may affect about 4 million vehicles of several brands, including Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Škoda. The reason was a defect in the steering gear attachment, which in the worst case could lead to loss of steering control.

The expansion of the campaign was reported by Czech Radio. A Škoda Auto representative confirmed to the publication that the service campaign will affect about one million cars of the Czech brand.

Earlier, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) disclosed data for Volkswagen and Audi. Among Volkswagen vehicles alone, almost 2.16 million cars worldwide are considered potentially problematic, with about 896 thousand located in Germany.

According to Handelsblatt, citing KBA, the issue affects Volkswagen Golf, Golf Variant, Tiguan, Touran and Caddy models produced in various periods from September 2013 to July 2024.

Almost 700 thousand potentially affected vehicles are Audi Q3 models produced from October 2017 to May 2024. In Germany, there are more than 58 thousand such cars.

In addition, a similar defect has been identified in Seat Ateca and Tarraco. Taking into account vehicles of other Volkswagen Group brands, the number of cars that may require inspection and repair significantly exceeds initial estimates.

The problem is related to the steering gear mounting bolt. Due to corrosion or mechanical stress, it may break. In this case, there is a risk of impaired steering function up to complete failure.

To fix the malfunction, service centers must replace the fastener with a more corrosion-resistant one. According to Kfz-Betrieb, the large-scale service campaign for left-hand drive cars is expected to begin approximately in November.

At the moment, German sources do not report accidents or injuries directly related to the identified defect.

Owners of the relevant vehicle models should receive notifications from the manufacturer or the brand's national offices. It will also be possible to check via the VIN code at an official dealer whether a specific car is subject to the service campaign.