Volkswagen and Audi recall 3m cars over steering defect

German carmaker Volkswagen and its Audi and Seat subsidiaries have issued a recall for nearly 3 million vehicles worldwide due to a defect that could cause steering failure, the brands confirmed on Friday.

At least 950,000 vehicles are affected by the recall in Germany alone, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).

"Internal quality checks have revealed that a steering problem may occur in certain vehicles from various model ranges of the Volkswagen brand," a company spokesman told dpa upon request.

Corrosion may occur at a steering mounting bolt under certain environmental conditions and if the car is exposed to road salt for several years, he said. "If this corrosion progresses, it may compromise the steering mounting and, consequently, its function."

The affected Volkswagen models are the Tiguan, Touran, Golf Variant, Golf Sportsvan and Caddy, produced between September 24, 2013, and July 1, 2024, according to the carmaker.

According to the KBA, the issue affects 2.16 million of those models worldwide.

The same issue affects the Audi Q3, produced between October 2017 and May 2024, with some 700,000 vehicles potentially affected worldwide, according to the KBA.

A spokesman for Audi also confirmed the steering issue, adding that no injuries or damage have been reported due to the defect so far.

The recall also affects Seat Ateca and Tarraco models produced between April 2016 and September 2024. The exact number of vehicles potentially affected at Volkswagen's Spanish subsidiary was initially unclear.

Volkswagen said replacing the affected parts would take approximately one hour, with the company asking owners of affected models to take them to a service centre "to offer customers the best possible safety."