Volkswagen of America,inc: Steering › Column Locking › Anti-theft Device
Volkswagen of America,inc reported this defect to federal regulators on Apr 10, 1990 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 6,600. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED STEERING LOCK BOLTS COULD BREAK IF DRIVER APPLIES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO A LOCKED STEERING WHEEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISENGAGE THE STEERING LOCK.
The risk
BOLT BREAKAGE WOULD CAUSE STEERING WHEEL TO REMAIN LOCKED EVEN AFTER THE DRIVER TURNS THE IGNITION KEY AND ATTEMPTS TO MOVE THE CAR; THIS TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
The remedy
REPLACE COMPLETE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING A MODIFIED LOCK BOLT.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 Audi 80 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990 Audi 90 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 Audi Quattro | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 90V070000.
Full record for the 1990 Audi 80 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →