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2006 Volkswagen Passat steering complaints

Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 112, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2006 Volkswagen Passat steering problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Jan 22, 2016 · Steering · 39,556 miles · FL

My volkswagen passat has a steering wheel lock warning light come on.. Manual says the steering could be compromised... Volkswagen of america did want acknowledge the fact that many cars had this problem all over the world.. The problem was eventually fixed. Now, less than 10,000 later, I have the problem again. This is a known issue that vw doesn't not want to acknowledge or take care of. There should be a safety recall done on this matter as it could be very dangerous. In my case not only did it affect the steering, but it also would not let me start the car at all. The problem was intermittent at first but got progressively worst. It got to where I could not start the car at all.

Filed Oct 27, 2015 · Steering · 86,000 miles · PA

Attempted to start my vehicle by pressing the key fob into the ignition. Car did not start and the message "steering column defective" was displayed. Attempted to start the car again, but this time the car failed to even turn the engine over. In addition, the key fob cannot be extracted from the ignition. Now the car is immobile. I researched this issue and quickly discovered that this is a prevalent issue with this make and model. Many other's have voiced their complaint with vw regarding this issue but despite this, vw still has yet to even acknowledge that there is a manufacturing defect. The car, being bought through a vw dealership pre-owned, was not under warranty. The car has less than 80k miles on it and had only accrued 10k miles since it was purchased, by me and from the dealership, 14 months ago.

Filed May 27, 2015 · Electrical, Steering · 92,585 miles · FL

My car suffers from a "steering column lock defective" issue for which vw of america has issued a recall as it is a very common problem on this year of the car. For some reason my car was not included in the recall (by VIN), and now that the piece is starting to fail they will not cover it. It is a clear defect and it is well documented, but they still want me to pay out of pocket ($800) to cover the repair costs. If this part fails, I will be left stranded with no way of turning the car on. A lot of money has already been spent fixing this car as this was a problematic year for this model. I do not want to spend more money fixing what is clearly a defect and something that vw has recognized is a problem and is fixing in other calls from the same year. Thank you.

Filed Mar 23, 2015 · Steering · 74,900 miles · CA

Steering column lock defective -just like all the other complaints that are listed. Does someone have to die in order for this to be investigated? I don't know how many more pages of complaints you need.

Filed Nov 24, 2014 · Steering · NY

Steering lock defective - should be a recall on the part of vw - I have a vw passat 06 and keep on getting this problem.

Filed Oct 20, 2014 · Steering · 115,000 miles · CT

Steering column lock defective light came on and the car would randomly die out turn back on and randomly die out again. Almost causing an accident.

Filed Jun 8, 2014 · Electrical, Steering · 103,000 miles · MN

The problem started off small. My passat one day started and shut off. Over the next couple months the problem got much worse. First it took a couple tries to start and now typically takes about 15 minutes to start. The steering wheel light pops up and the cars warning states "steering column lock defective". Today 6/8/14 I was driving 60 MPH on the highway and the car stalls. Luckily we made it to the side of the highway. With a crying baby in the backseat, I finally got the car to start after 2 hours of trying!

Filed Jun 3, 2014 · Steering · 140,000 miles · MD

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that when attempting to start the vehicle, the steering colum lock defective warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000.

Filed Feb 4, 2014 · Acceleration, Brakes · 145,990 miles · IA

Electronic emergency brake fault; was driving on january 18,2014. My daughter was driving about 35 MPH when this emergency brake light started flashing yellow. Also there was a red brake light that was flashing and beeping three times. She got the car under control mind you she is only 17 and she just bought this car from campus auto here in fort dodge, ia on the 10th and he told her nothing was wrong with the car. Everything has went wrong with this car that can go wrong. She pulled over and read in her manual that with the beeping 3 times and the red light indicator said that she was suppose to get it to a trusted mechanic right away. So she did the smart thing and called me to have the car taken to a mechanic. But what if she would have been on the highway and this would have happened. She would have lost control of this car on a highway. Please look into these passat. There is something seriously wrong with them. Wheel bearings are bad in the rear. Fuel pump went bad. Coils burn. These are all dangerous things. Please help.

Filed Nov 28, 2013 · Steering · 139,765 miles · MA

I have code steering lock column defective this is my second vw passat with same problem.

Filed Nov 25, 2013 · Steering · 120,000 miles · IN

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the steering warning light illuminated on as the vehicle stalled. The contact was not able to restart the vehicle. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign I.d. Number 05v540000 (steering) and called the manufacturer, who advised that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer or mechanic for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed Jun 24, 2013 · Steering · 140,000 miles · MI

Went to start my car after work, it turned over and stalled immediately. I get the error message 'steering column lock is defective' followed by 3 loud beeps. This issue had me stranded for about a half hour until many times of trying, it finally started and ran. From what I have seen this is a very common issue and vw dealers are wanting on average $1800 to repair.

Filed Apr 18, 2013 · Steering · 32,000 miles · KS

After starting car it would immediately stall this would happen over and over again until eventually it would start during this time I would see on the cars display a warning that the steering column lock was defective. This issue continues to happen intermittently and sometimes the key will get stuck in the ignition and until you get it out it will not allow you to try and restart the car. The key can be removed by pressing the button on the gear shift three times in succession. I found that bit of information on a car forum but not in the vw manual. After looking on the internet I have found that this is a pretty common issue with the vw passat spanning several years.

Filed Mar 29, 2013 · Steering · 126,000 miles · MA

Got warning message that 'steering lock was defective'.

Filed Sep 12, 2011 · Engine, Steering · 83,000 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall with the illumination of the column steering lock warning light. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Jan 22, 2011 · Steering · GA

When I use the key to start my 2006 volkswagen passat it will not start, the steering wheel locks and the car immobilizes. I cannot start the car from 15 minutes to 1 hour. The key will not come out. When I call for help all anyone tells me is to turn the steering wheel to the left and right, but this does not work. I have encountered this problem about 3 to 5 times a day. I purchased this car in sept. 2010 and this has happened every day since I purchased this car. When I took it back, I was told they could not find anything wrong and the car started. The engine light also comes on and they can't find anything wrong. As I write this, the car is immobolized in my garage and will not start, I have missed appointments over and over. I went on http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3656214 to try to find out how to correct this and found out that several people has or has had this problem with their volkswagen passat and the solution seems to be to replace the steering column. I do not have any money to pay for such a big job, especially since I have not had this car for six months. This car was sold with this problem.

Filed Jan 11, 2011 · Steering · 78,700 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat 346. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH the front end of the vehicle started shaking making it impossible for him to control the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop who stated that the left tie rod arm knot became loose. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but they refused to honor the recall ( 05v540000) since the VIN was not included. The failure and current mileages were 78,700.

Filed Jan 11, 2011 · Electrical, Engine · 77,000 miles · TX

I got 2006 vw passat 2.0t - 77,000miles. Last week, I got engine light came on during the drive and went to dealership and they checked computer system then fixed air filter housing. I paid $585.00. I don't understand how it can break, but I don't have choice. And next day on the driving it happen again and I went to dealership again. This time they told me pcv valve was not working so another fix cost $281.00. Last september I did regular maintenance service and they told me everything good. But after every month it happened again and again, first problem was steering columns......I paid $485.00 second problem was battery........I paid $130.00 third problem was engine light came on I paid $585.00 and this time another engine light came on $281.00 within two day. Now I knew vw cars are pieces of junks. It is really junks.

Filed Dec 28, 2010 · Brakes, Engine · 85,000 miles · PA

I own a 2006 vw passat 3.6, engine died suddenly after pulling out across a 45mph state route, after engine failed, there was no steering or brakes, had to push car out of traffic with my 2 young sons inside. Young vw, easton pa. Stated the failure as a oil pump bolt that had backed out and sheared off, causing the catastrophic engine failure. After some research I found 58 failure of this type of this same year and engine, at: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3462993-attn-3.6l-owners-has-your-engine-failed , - this is clearly an issue vw was aware of several years ago, as evidenced by the replacement or repair of so many, 58+ engines that I can document, and chooses not to recognize the issue, I believe due to financial reasons as this fix is $3,000 in labor alone. I contacted vwoa, (ref. # [xxx]) and vw ag, (,ref. No.: [xxx]) with this issue and neither had recognized this as a known issue, my vehicle is out of warranty, and vw estimated the repair at $12,800 for a rebuilt engine. Aside from being abusively expensive, this failure should not be allowed to occur randomly, in traffic or anywhere creating a very unsafe and life threatening situation, vwoa should be well aware of these potential problems with this year engine, by the many they have replaced or fixed and should make the public aware and effect a fix to prevent a loss of life due to this known engine defect. My VIN # [xxx], 2006 vw passat 3.6l 4motion. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Dec 14, 2010 · Electrical, Steering · 24,000 miles · CA

I am filing a complaint regarding the stalling issues I've experienced on my 2006 volkswagen passat 3.6l model. The description below is a historical account of the problem and how it progressed to the current state. I first noticed the issue around 8000 miles or so where the key fob would get stuck in the ignition. After reading some posts on vwforum, I worked around the intermittent issue by clicking the gear shift 3 times to disengage the key fob from the ignition. Around 24k mile or so, I noticed the stalling issue immediately after the car was started. This problem was intermittent as well and seemed to occur during extreme weather conditions - cold or hot. At this time, the error 'steering column failure' would register intermittently. Around 60k the problem progressed and the frequency of occurrence increased. I reported the issue to the dealership and they were not able to reproduce the issue. Looking back at the multiple blogs and forums on this topic, I believe the dealership should have been familiar enough with the issue that further research into the problem would have been warranted. I was not aware of the widespread issue at the time and did not insist on having the dealer research the issue while the car was still in warranty. The inspection fee was enough to deter me from pushing further specially if the problem could not be reproduced. Currently, at 88k miles, the problem of stalling when starting can be reproduced at will. There is a workaround posted on the same vw forums of specific steps to start the car that I'm currently using. Otherwise, the car does not start and the errors 'steering column failure 'immobilzer defective' is displayed consistently. We also experienced two instances of the car stalling while driving on the freeway. I believe this is caused by the same immobilizer error caused by the steering column failure as the two errors displayed when trying to restart. This is a serious and life threatening issue.

Filed Dec 13, 2010 · Electrical, Steering · 55,328 miles · NY

The problem that I am having with my 2006 volkswagen passat is that while I am driving the car shuts down completely. This has happened to me about five times this year. It has almost caused me to be in two accidents and to have to quickly pull off the road. The dealer wants me to pay $1,700 to repair it.

Filed Dec 9, 2010 · Electrical, Steering · 66,222 miles · KY

2006 volkswagen passat - "steering column lock defective " error message. 1. Car will not start immediately; sometimes up to 20 minutes after initiating the starting procedure. 2. Failure occurs several times a week. Consequence for first incident was a lost contract for an independent consulting position. Car is currently out of service requiring me to use public transportation and/or walk to work and appointments. 3. Issue has not been corrected. Car is currently out of service.

Filed Nov 10, 2010 · Electrical, Steering · 75,000 miles · TX

My car is 2006 vw passat - 2.0t. Around 60,000miles, car became increasingly harder to start. But it works. And at 75,000miles it looks like the battery died and "steering column lock" is defective. So I talked to the dealership service guy, he told me the battery had low voltage. So I changed, but it happened same problem with new battery. I don't know what happened only my car or other vw also has same problem. I have 73,000 miles, I did it regular maintenance service, after that the car wasn't the same because wheel side had more noise but I trusted dealership. Dealership didn't say anything, so I thought everything was ok. But the same problem happened. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Nov 9, 2010 · Electrical, Steering · 31,000 miles · CA

2006 vw passat "defective steering column lock" warning sign and the car won't start at once.

Filed Nov 5, 2010 · Steering · 56,000 miles · MD

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. While driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over but the vehicle would not restart after several attempts. Then a steering column light illuminated. After ten more attempts, the vehicle restarted; the contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the contact was informed that the steering column modular needed to be replaced. The failure was intermittent and became progressively worse. The key also became stuck in the ignition because of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000 and the current mileage was approximately 90,000.

Filed Oct 22, 2010 · Electrical, Steering · 37,000 miles · MA

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that the steering wheel locked. The contact stated a little red light blinked on and off and the power steering failed. The contact looked in the manual and it stated that if this light came on that the steering wheel would lock. The manual stated that the coils in the dashboard control the steering and dashboard functions. The vehicle was unable to be towed since everything locked, including the wheels. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were 37000.

Filed Oct 21, 2010 · Electrical, Steering · 72,000 miles · CA

2006 vw passat has intermittent problems starting (steering column lock, etc - same as everyone else) and then one day while driving @ 55 MPH, my car died. I had to try and get over to the side of the road. Very scary! I tried to restart with no luck and just about the time I was ready to give up, I tried one more time (while waiting for aaa to answer the phone) and it worked. I've had it into my mechanic several times for the starting issue and the dealer gave me the "replace the whole steering column" thing. I have been holding off bc its so expensive and I can go for weeks or even months without having the problem, then it flares up again in spades. My biggest concern now is the motor cutting out on me again while I'm driving. There should be a recall based on the hundreds of complaints for this same issue.

Filed Oct 14, 2010 · Steering · 38,000 miles · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated the ignition would only start after several attempts. The "steering wheel lock defective" message lluminated on the instrument panel intermittently. The failure occurred seven times. The dealer was notified of the failures and the contact was informed that there was not a problem if the warning indicator did not remain illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 38,000.

Filed Oct 14, 2010 · Locks, Steering · 38,000 miles · FL

I had a steering wheel lock defective warning light come up in my car, the car also would not start. After numerous attempts, it started. I called my dealer and he said he had no knowledge of the car having this problem. Volkswagen of american too had no knowledge of this problem. I googled the problem online and found thousands of people having this problem no only here in the states but all over the whole where the car was sold. My car only had the warning and the no start problem. But many others were complaining that the car would shut down while traveling at a high rate of speed. I can't believe volkswagen won't acknowledge the problem. My car is a 2006 passat with only 38,000 miles. Something should be done here.

Filed Sep 30, 2010 · Electrical, Steering · 50,000 miles · GA

My car has had starting issues since I have had it. Sometimes, everytime I would try to start it would not start and give me the "locked steering column" message. It would stop doing this for several months and then start again. Finally, after 100,000 it stopped completely and would not start. It is $600 to fix it but it seems like a lot of people have this issue and they had a recall on the steering column. What can I do?

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