1st occurrence, steering column lock warning came on upon ignition, immediately disabled the car. Tried again several times before it eventually started. Same problem occurred several times a week with increasing frequency until it eventually happened in rush hour traffic, while the car was running and in motion. The problem currently happens every time the car is started. We first reported the problem to dealer "a" in october of 2007, however, because they could not replicate our complaint, they treated it as an isolated event. We continued to report the problem at every service visit to dealer "a", without resolution. Upon taking the car to dealer "b", they reported that the steering column module and comfort module are both defective, causing the steering column lock. Dealer "b" also stated that they see 2-3 cars a week for the steering column lock defect and that the repair would cost $1500, despite that we first reported the problem while under warranty. Upon further investigation, a temporary method to circumvent the problem before the car is started was discovered on a forum full of hundreds of reports from other passat owners with the same defect. (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3656214&page=1) additionally, vw ireland has developed a simple software fix for the problem that was covered in a major irish national news publication, however vw america denies such a fix exists and refuses to cooperate with vw ireland or local dealers or issue a recall. This is clearly an issue wherein an inexpensive software fix would cause vw to either lose out on a $1500 mechanical repair and have to reimburse those who have already paid for the fix. Consequently, they refuse to acknowledge the prevalence of the defect which would result in a recall.
2006 Volkswagen Passat steering complaints
Page 4 of 5: complaints 71 to 100 of 112, newest first, as owners wrote them.
For 2 times the steering column lock and a warning light on the dash had appeared. May cause steering well malfunction. Risk of lose control. After restart the engine the problem was gone, no errors on ecu.
Vw 2006 passat 2.0 t steering column defective signal and the car doesn't start. After doing internet search, it seems many other customers are having the same problem with passats and jettas. It seems the vw company should have a recall and fix this problem this seems to be generalized. Many of us are being told to replace the whole unit to have solution.
My 2006 passat will shut down while driving and he steering lock light will come on prior to this happening. Very concerned about my family's safety.
'07/19/2006: purchased a brand new 2006 volkswagen passat '04/13/2007: radio will not eject cd- the stereo system had to be replaced due to faulty radio '12/06/2007: car will not start ' called tow company, upon arrival checked battery and it was not the problem; tow company could not get the car to start; car was towed to lasher volkswagen '12/14/2007: car will not start again, same issue as before on 12/06/2007; called the tow company and had it towed to lasher dealership; after numerous calls back and forth, vw dealership and manufacturer cannot figure out the problem nor have they fixed the vehicle yet '01/12/08: picked up the vehicle from lasher vw ' seemed to work okay '01/14/08: while driving home from work, door locks began to unlock and lock by themselves and while driving on the freeway; also, suddenly light indicators (blinkers) did not work, high beams did not work, windshield wipers did not work, steering wheel indicator light came on, tire pressure light came on, cruise control light came on; this was an extremely dangerous situation '01/17/08: while driving to berkeley, on the freeway, the blinkers stopped working, and could not get the windshield wipers to work; locks began to lock and unlock while driving; telephone call again, to lasher vw to express great concern and worried about being stranded; was told to bring it in on friday 01/1/08 at 7:30 am; once we arrived in berkeley, we parked the car and turned off the ignition ' the radio was still on and the headlights did not shut off; we started up the car again and the same thing happened; when locking the car with the alarm, the doors locked but the alarm did not turn on; lights remained on for about 20 minutes, fearing that the battery would run low and we would be stranded '08/05/09: took the car to elk grove vw and told that warranty will not cover any of the repairs '10/24/09-12/14/09: the car has not been able to start since 10/23/09 and sitting in our garage & now at neillo vw.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. While driving on a bridge at approximately 40 MPH the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel, and then the vehicle stalled. After a few minutes he was able to restart the vehicle. He will take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. A report was filed with the manufacturer, but he was not provided with any assistance. The failure and current mileages were 72,000.
2006 passat sedan defective steering column message in dashboard monitor.
2006 passat that won't start and has steering column defective light come on. Told I need new column and comfort control module also for $1500.00 that I don't have. I am so sick of this car. Lots of big problems but they were under warranty, now I am out of warranty by 5000 miles. This should be a recall with so many customers having the same problem.
My 2006 volkswagen passat sometimes will not start-- steering column lock defect is the error message. This has left my car inoperable on several occasions,... Eventually it does start. I am planning to have the steering column replaced for $1500. This happens almost everyday now.
I own a vw passat 2006 and keep getting a steering wheel column lock defective message in my hud. This stalls out the car and takes restarts of ignition just to be able to drive. I have read this is a very common problem and costs around1500 dollars to fix. This is unacceptable and unnecessary expense on the consumer end when vw should really back there product better.
My dash keeps telling me steering column lock is defective. My car won't start half the time. I have to leave my car running if I plan on getting right back in.
Defective steering column lock message keeps coming up on 2006 vw passat started happening over the summer now 1 1/2 months later it is happening more frequently.
1) the car has 67,000 miles and it has been serviced every 5,000 miles as advised by the manufacturer. 2) the car wouldn't start and it came up with a warning message that read "steering column lock failure." it came only once, but failure of this stationary part could result in locking the steering wheel while driving. As per thousands of blog threads, this is a common problem on volkswagen passats. 3) the part had to be replaced and the manufacturer (volkswagen) no longer uses the same part. They use a new improved part that doesn't seem to have this problem.
Every couple of days, 'steering column defective' message appears on 2006 vw passat screen, and car won't start. After 5 or 6 tries the car eventually starts. I see postings similar to this in many internet forums regarding 2006 passat.
Volkswagen 2006 2.0t passat has a defective steering wheel lock that is very dangerous. I know of numerous passat 2006 drivers with the same problem. It is unsafe and this should be recalled. Thank god I was not driving when it occurred. It is very expensive to fix and I am just out of the warranty. It is unfair and unsafe. It has happened to so many passat drivers. Please do something. The car was difficult to tow because everything is locked up on the car, couldn't put it into neutral, all wheels were locked, brakes,etc. The service person at the dealership said that the keys are not being read by the car and the steering wheel column needs to be replaced for over $1300. I can not afford to pay for this especially since it is a vw defect.
2006 vw passat 3.6 4-motion. 65k miles. Steering column lock failure. While on my honeymoon trip with my new wife to vancouver b.c. My car failed to start as usual. Key is placed in dash and pressed into starting position. Car starts and then abruptly engine stops. Very intermittent. Problem is worrying because it could potentially happen while driving in traffic.
2006 vw passat 2.0t. Steering column lock failure.
On several occasions leading up to 07-30-08, vehicle would not start properly. Vw reprogrammed keys but refused to cover costs even though vehicle was still under warranty. Around april 2009, vehicle began having problems cranking again. Vehicle would start then the engine would immediately die, but not every time. Condition got worse at the beginning of june and had the battery and alternator checked out. They were fine. On one occasion the vehicle computer gave a "steering wheel lock defective" error. Took vehicle back to dealer on 06-16-2009. This time they said steering column control module and comfort module would need to be replaced and that this problem was not related to earlier problem that should have been covered under warranty. Had vehicle repaired at different vw dealer at own cost. I kept the old parts.
Car would not start when key was inserted. Problem was very intermittent at first and then became more and more common. Then sometimes the car would start but stop immediately. Dealers at first told me that they had never heard of this but now state that the car requires a new steering column.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that the check steering light illuminated on the instrument panel. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the steering column failed. The column needed to be replaced at the cost of $1,200. A report was filed with the manufacturer and they offered to assist with 30% of the repair cost. The current and failure mileages were 78,000.
Having issues with steering column lock, car never starts, takes multiple tries to get it to start. Saving money to pay for 1500.00 repair. While driving to work on monday june 22 @ 72 MPH, the vehicle turned off. This was extremely scary due to being on major highway at such a speed. I almost did not make it to the side of the road without being struck from behind. The vehicle took several attempts from there to start again.
Electronic steering column continues to produce warning lights after being sent in for service. Warning message that electronic steering lock is defective continues coming on. Error message causes the car to not start, sometimes taking 2-10 restarts to get the car running. Power assistance and electronic steering can fail (according to the owner's manual) if this problem is not fixed. Could cause personal injury to self and others or damage to the vehicle if this is not fixed. Have researched problem on the internet and found several other owners with the same problem. Dealerships seem to have difficulty diagnosing and repairs are very costly. Entire steering column must be replaced at a cost of $1,500-2,600. Seems to be a common problem for this year and make, and may cause significant damage if not fixed.
The car suddenly wouldn't start. There was no forewarning. "steering column lock defective" warning appeared on the in-dash console. The car wouldn't start. I removed the key and tried after a few minutes, and the car started okay. This happened a few times in the stretch of one week or so. I took the car to the dealer and they replaced the entire steering column.
Car will not start, dashboard warning "steering column lock failure" I have had this problem for quite some time and I think it's about time to do something about it as this appears to be a common problem with b6 passat owners. The problem is most likely faulty contacts yet the whole steering column is replaced by volkswagen and could cost up to $2000..
I have a 2006 vw passat, among many issues with this model and year, the most recent and my serious concern for safety is the ""steering column lock defective" the car sometimes will not start at all or will start and immediately die. I did some research online and was shocked by the number of vw customers that had the same issue and nothing has been done yet! The cost to fix this is in the upwards of $1500. One the car is only 3 years old and two there seems to be a pattern here that this is a vw defective issue! This is a safety concern, I am pregnant and can't even get home after driving to work or the store! I feel vw has an ethical responsibility to fix this recurring problem! I hope you can pursue this.
When I attempt to start my car, it will initially turn over but will then shut down. The in dash computer states a steering wheel lock failure. The dealership informed me that the problem was with a module in the steering column and that the repair bill would be $2000.00. They also confirmed that another one of their customers had the same problem, except that the steering locked up on them while driving. The gentle I spoke with explained that the steering wheel locking up can also occur with mine. He then stated that vw america was going to pay for approximately 800.00 of the repair bill and I will have to cover the rest.
I am the second owner of a 2006 vw passat, who has had multiple issues with this vehicle. The latest being of most concern. When I attempt to start the car, it will either not turn over at all, or the engine turn over, then die. This happens nearly everytime I am in the car. My vehicle is 4,000 miles outside of the warranty, so neithervolkswagon, nor my local vw dealer will assist me with the cost (being an '!@#$% amount of $1643.00 out of pocket), nor has a recall been issued. I have called and emailed numerous individuals at vw corporate level, with no results. In doing research, I have found many forums, with multiple posts of customers having this same issue with this car, specifically the 2006 model. I have also went through the better business bureau to attempt to get answers on why vw is not doing more for their customers with a part that is obviously defective. Below is the reply email I got from them, instructing me to contact your company. Thank you for your attention and time on this matter. Copy of email from bbb-- {I am in receipt of your email sent to the better business bureau, inc. Upon review of your email, it doesn't appear as though you have filed a claim with the federal safety agency. I suggest you begin there. The office of defects investigation (odi) is an office within the federal safety agency. Odi conducts defect investigations and administers safety recalls to support the federal safety agency's mission to improve safety on our nation's highways. The federal safety agency is authorized to order manufacturers to recall and repair vehicles or items of motor vehicle equipment when odi investigations indicate that they contain serious safety defects in their design, construction, or performance. Odi also monitors the adequacy of manufacturers' recall campaigns. Before initiating an investigation, odi carefully reviews the body of consumer complaints and other available data to determine whether a defect trend may exist.
Vehicle will not start 70% of the time. Vehicle stalls once started. Problem is getting worse. Quote was provided to repair, but parts are very expensive.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that the steering column locks up on her vehicle and prevents it from being driven. She attempted to start the engine and an indicator illuminated, which stated that the steering column was locked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the steering column was defective and needed a module. The repair would cost $1,300. The failure mileage was 63,000. Updated 05/27/09 *bf updated 06/08/09 *bf updated 6/16/09 *nj the left rear caliper needed to be replaced,the check engine light illuminated, the transmission was making a loud noise, the tire pressure light illuminated, the left turn signal did not work, the left wheel bearing needed to be replaced, the hood release lever inside the vehicle was inoperative. Updated 06/17/09.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact attempted to start the ignition and the steering wheel began to lock up. There were two warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The messages displayed were "embolizater activated move steering wheel" and "steering lock defective". In addition, the ignition key was stuck and failed to release. The failures occured without warning. The driver disconnected and reconnected the battery cable to start the vehicle. The vehicle stalled between six to ten times while in operation. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was towed from her residence to an independent mechanic. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 69,000.
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