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A broken screw could lead to steering failure in about 2.86 million VW and Audi vehicles worldwide, according to Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
Under certain conditions, corrosion could cause a bolt securing the steering gear to break. In the worst case, this could lead to a loss of steering control and increase the risk of an accident.
On the authority’s website, the matter is currently marked as “under investigation”, which means that a final assessment is still pending.
The models concerned include the Audi Q3 as well as the VW Golf, Golf Variant, Tiguan, Touran and Caddy.
Audi said it has launched a “precautionary recall” after internal inspections found that road salt and other environmental conditions could, over several years, corrode a screw securing the steering system in some Q3 vehicles. If the corrosion progresses, it could impair the steering system, the company said.
The affected vehicles include Audi Q3 models manufactured between 31 October 2017 and 23 May 2024, with a specific combination of steering system and front-axle subframe. Audi said the repair would take up to an hour and be free for customers.
The Volkswagen models affected were produced between 24 September 2013 and 1 July 2024.
Globally, there are nearly 2.16 million potentially affected Volkswagen vehicles, including almost 900,000 in Germany. More than 696,000 Audi vehicles are potentially affected worldwide, including 58,555 in Germany.
Euronews has contacted Volkswagen for comment.
The KBA says it is not aware of any related incidents involving damage or injury.
The recall follows an earlier Volkswagen Group action this year involving batteries in some electric ID models. That affected nearly 100,000 Volkswagen Group electric cars. Both of these are dwarfed by the VW Group’s diesel-emissions recall, which covered 8.5 million cars across Europe.
Owners who think their car may be affected can contact an authorised workshop with their vehicle identification number (VIN).