Volkswagen Recalls MY 2009 Passat, CC, Wagon

Volkswagen is recalling 130 model year 2009 Passat, Passat Wagon and Passat CC vehicles due to what seems to be a problem concerning the electromechanical steering gear control unit, as mentioned by the German carmaker in a notification sent to NHTSA. The report only concerns model year 2009 units, Volkswagen mentioned, with the recall expected to begin on December 5, 2008.

“Volkswagen is recalling 130 MY 2009 Passat, Passat Wagon and Passat CC vehicles. Some vehicles may have an electromechanical steering gear control unit that can malfunction due to a damaged capacitor. If this malfunction occurs, the driver's steering input is not properly processed by the system and the vehicle may not respond as the driver intends,” VW explained the glitch.

The German carmaker says there are several consequences of this malfunction: the steering wheel might vibrate, the steering system motor may turn off, the red steering system dashboard indicator may be turned on while the audible warnings might also be activated. “A malfunctioning steering system could lead to a crash without warning,” the notification concerning the “steering gear box – other than rack and pinion” reads.

However, note that this problem only occurs immediately after the engine is turned on when the steering wheel is moved for the first time and at speeds lower than 5 mph, but there's no words on risks of driving an affected car at higher speeds.

The buggy steering control unit will be repaired by authorized Volkswagen dealers by completely replacing the steering gear in the affected vehicles, the German carmaker said. Owners of the aforementioned models are asked to contact Volkswagen or the closest dealership.