Volkswagen of America,inc: Steering › Linkages › Rod › Relay › Connecting
Volkswagen of America,inc reported this defect to federal regulators on Sep 13, 1999 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 51,900. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TIE RODS OF THE STEERING ASSEMBLY ARE PROTECTED ON EACH SIDE BY A SEAL TO PREVENT MOISTURE AND DUST PARTICLES FROM ENTERING THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME TIE ROD SEALS MAY NOT SEAL PROPERLY.
The risk
IF MOISTURE AND/OR DUST PARTICLES ENTER THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM, THE SWIVEL BEARING COULD WEAR OVER TIME DIMINISHING THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIE RODS.
8 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Audi A4 | 190 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| 1999 Audi A6 | 217 | 9 | 23 | 12 |
| 1999 Audi A8 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 Volkswagen Passat | 664 | 6 | 13 | 11 |
| 1998 Audi A4 | 258 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| 1998 Audi A6 | 130 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| 1998 Audi A8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998 Volkswagen Passat | 331 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
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 99V248000.
Full record for the 1999 Audi A4 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →