2008 Volkswagen Passat Steering Problems

Your dashboard displays a "steering column lock defective" warning message on and off randomly, which sometimes prevents the car from starting. On at least one occasion, when the warning appeared but the car did restarted, the steering became unresponsive while driving before the warning cleared after turning the car off and back on. The dealership has reported finding no diagnostic codes and says no recall applies to your vehicle, though you've brought this in multiple times during service.

Your steering lock warning light flashes yellow and sometimes turns red with an audible alert, making the car take two to three attempts to start. Your car occasionally shuts down while driving but restarts before coming to a complete stop. This problem has been occurring for over a year and is getting worse. The dealer replaced your key fob about 4 weeks ago but didn't address this steering lock issue despite a full inspection.

When you turn on the air conditioning, your car loses power, the battery warning light and check engine light come on, and your steering wheel locks up. After turning off the AC and trying to restart the car several times, it starts again and the warning lights disappear. This issue may indicate a problem with the electrical system not supplying enough power when the AC compressor engages, potentially caused by a weak battery, faulty alternator, or corroded electrical connections.

WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED IT IMMEDIATELY SHUTS ITSELF OFF AND SAYS STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY AND THEY TOLD ME THIS COULD CAUSE MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING, ESPECIALLY THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE CARS AND COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS WHILE DRIVING. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALS HOARDS OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL PASSAT.

DASHBOARD WARNING STATES " STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE"

STEERING COLUMN LOCK MALFUNCTION, THE VEHICLE WILL TURN OVER BUT NOT FIRE. EVERY NOW AND THEN IT WILL FIRE AND THEN IMMEDIATELY DIE. LUCKILY IT WENT OUT WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IF IT WERE TO MALFUNCTION WHILE DRIVING IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS

WHILE MERGING ONTO AN ON-RAMP ON A TOLL ROAD, AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING TRIED TO PULL THE CAR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE ONE I WAS TURNING. THIS WAS A "CLOVERLEAF" ON-RAMP, WITH A TIGHT TURNING ANGLE. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 30 OR 35 MPH, AS I WAS BEGINNING TO COME OUT OF THE TURN AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS TURNING THE RIGHT AND STEERING WOULD TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT FOR A SECOND OR TWO. I WAS FORCED TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT DIRECTION AND AVOID CRASHING. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. IT ONLY SEEMED TO HAPPEN ON THIS ONE PARTICULAR ON-RAMP AT THE TIME. APPROXIMATELY A MONTH LATER (ON A MONDAY, 10/20/2014), I WAS ON ANOTHER SIMILAR "CLOVERLEAF" ON-RAMP BUT AT DIFFERENT LOCATION AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, WHILE TURNING TO THE RIGHT. LATER THAT DAY THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS TURNING TO THE LEFT ON A LESSER EXIT RAMP, AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD "GLITCH" AND TRY TO PULL THE CAR TO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. BEING AWARE THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES, I WAS VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT MY SPEED ON THESE RAMPS. REGARDLESS OF THE SPEED, THE ISSUE WOULD STILL OCCUR. THE NEXT DAY, THE STEERING ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION, THREE TIMES WHILE ON THE RAMP, PULLING THE CAR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SAME WEEK ON FRIDAY (10/24/2014). THEY WERE FINALLY ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE AND SAID I NEEDED TO HAVE THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK REPLACED. SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS GETTING WORSE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, I WAS FORCED TO HAVE THE REPAIR MADE, WHICH COST MORE THAN $1,700. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY ISSUE AND I WAS VERY AFRAID IT WOULD CAUSE ME TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES PER HOUR ON STATE HIGHWAY CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER. STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD AND COAST INTO PARKING LOT. CAR WOULD NOT START FOR 24 HOURS TO MOVE TO REPAIR SHOP. AFTER DIFFICULTY DIAGNOSING DUE TO LOSS OF ALL POWER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE POWER SUPPLY RELAY WAS APPARENTLY BAD. COULD FIND NO RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE. SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A CAR WITH SO FEW MILES WHICH HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY ISSUE! WAS VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO PULL OVER IN TIME TO AVOID TRAFFIC. *TR

VEHICLE HAS APPROX ONE YEAR OF DIFFICULT STARTS REQUIRING MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. ON 7/20/14 WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOT VEHICLE STALLED AND REFUSED TO RESTART DESPITE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. TOWED HOME. DTC SHOWED CONTROL MODULE FOR ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK LEAKING. VEHICLE REFUSING TO START DESPITE ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS CHECKING OUT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NOT ON. *TR

THE CAR WAS PARKED AND WOULD NOT START EVEN AFTER A CHECK OF THE BATTERY. THE CAR HAD NO POWER WHATSOEVER AND COULD NOT BE PLACED INTO NEUTRAL TO TOW-THE ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ALSO LOCKED.THE VEHICLE SAT TWO NIGHTS IN A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT BEFORE A TOWING COMPANY COULD FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. THE TOW WAS $106.00 TO THE VW DEALERSHIP.THE DEALER WANTED $107 LABOR CHARGE FOR EACH PROBLEM. I ALREADY LOOKING AT A $214.00 BILL FOR THE STARTING ISSUE AND BRAKE.I TOLD THE TECHNICIAN IF THE CAR STARTS THE BRAKE SHOULD RELEASE ACCORDING THE OPERATORS MANUAL-ITS ELECTRONIC.HOW THIS HAPPENED IS A COMPLETE MYSTERY AS THERE HAD NEVER BEEN EVEN THE SLIGHTEST INDICATION.I HAVE SEEN MANY, MANY REPORTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR ON THE INTERNET AS I DID SOME RESEARCH AFTER THIS HAPPENED. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP- THE STEERING WHEEL MODULE WAS $565 SINCE THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO MOVE THE CAR AND TRY AND GET IT STARTED , ,,WHICH SEEMS RIDICULOUS TO ME GIVEN THAT THE CAR ONLY HAS 90,000 MILES. I TRIED TO GET SOME HELP FROM VW CUSTOMER CARE GIVEN THAT THIS SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN FLAW...IT REALLY IS UPSETTING TO HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH FOR A CAR SO LIGHTLY USED WITH ONLY MAKING 3 MONTHLY VEHICLE PAYMENTS AND. VW WAS COMPLETELY UNWILLING TO WORK WITH ME IN ANY WAY. GERMAN ENGINEERING = GERMAN JUNK! *TR

I HAVE A 08 PASSAT AND FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW I HAVE HAD A 'STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE' PROBLEM. I WOULD HAVE WROTE THIS LETTER A LONG TIME AGO BUT WHEN IT STARTED HAPPENING MY WARRANTY WAS ALREADY EXPIRED AND IT WAS NOT AS SEVERE, NOW IT CAN TAKE ME ANYWHERE FROM 5-15 MINUTES JUST TO START MY CAR AND WHEN I DO GET IT STARTED MY CAR SOMETIMES COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING. I STARTED DOING RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND THERE ARE A LOT OF UPSET VW OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IF YOU GOOGLE 'PASSAT STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE PROBLEM' YOU WILL SEE MULTIPLE WEBSITES AND FORUMS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL? *TR

EXHAUST PIPE BROKE AT THE FLEX PIPE. HOT EXHAUST GAS BURNED THROUGH THE WIRING OF THE ELECTRONIC STEERING RACK. LOST STEERING AND THEN ENGINE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND NOT ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. EXHAUST PIPE, STEERING RACK & STEERING WIRING WAS REPLACED (WIRING NEEDS A HEAT-SHIELD TO PROTECT THE WIRING). *TR