Volkswagen and Audi launch massive recall of more than 2.8 million vehicles

A massive reminder. More than 2.1 million Volkswagen vehicles are subject to recall worldwide, the German automobile agency (KBA) said on Friday. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen group, Audi has recalled nearly 700,000 cars. The reason is the same for both brands: “a broken screw can lead to steering failure,” explain the German authorities.

Although country-by-country details have not been communicated, there is a good chance that vehicles in France are affected. On the Volkswagen side, the procedure targets five models (Golf, Golf Variant, Tiguan, Touran and Caddy), produced between September 24, 2013 and July 1, 2024. As for Audi, these are Q3 models manufactured between October 31, 2017 and May 23, 2024.

But not all vehicles of these models and manufacturing dates are affected. To find out if you are affected, you must have your vehicle identification number (VIN). “Composed of 17 characters, it is easily found on the registration document of your vehicle as well as on the lower part of the windshield,” explains Volkswagen on its site. Then, you can contact an authorized Volkswagen or Audi repairer, depending on your model, and provide them with your VIN number, to ask if your vehicle is affected by this recall campaign.

The danger not “so acute that the car would have to be immobilized” immediately

For Volkswagen, the recall code for this campaign is 48VS, and its reference number, for the German automobile agency, is 17016R. For Audi, these numbers are 48LG and 17014R respectively. The German manufacturer wants to be reassuring: “We are now recalling the vehicles concerned as a preventative measure, without there having been any bodily harm,” assures a spokesperson for the manufacturer to AFP. According to him, the danger is not “so acute that the car would have to be stopped” immediately. “We can continue driving to the appointment at the dealership,” in order to receive new, more corrosion-resistant screws free of charge, he adds.