Volkswagen Recalls More Than 250,000 Vehicles Over Steering, Software Issues

Volkswagen is recalling nearly 259,000 vehicles in the United States in two separate campaigns involving a potential loss of steering control and a software problem that could cause an engine to stall.

The larger recall covers 208,724 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles because a bolt securing the steering rack to the vehicle’s subframe could corrode and break, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday.

If the bolt fails, the steering rack housing could also break, potentially causing the driver to lose steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

The recall covers certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SUVs, 2018 and 2019 Volkswagen Atlas SUVs, and Audi Q3 vehicles from the 2019–2021 model years.

Volkswagen estimates that about 1 percent of the recalled vehicles have the defect.

Dealers will replace the right-side steering rack mounting bolt free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on Nov. 10, according to NHTSA.

The German automaker is separately recalling 49,958 model-year 2025 Tiguan SUVs over a software error involving the vehicle’s body control module.

The body control module manages a range of electrical systems throughout the vehicle. Volkswagen said a software error can cause the module to unexpectedly reset while the vehicle is operating.

The reset could cause the ignition to switch off and the engine to stall, according to the NHTSA. It could also lead to the loss of certain controls, warning lights, or exterior lighting, or cause the rearview camera system to stop working.

Dealers will correct the problem by updating the body control module software free of charge. Volkswagen expects to mail notification letters to affected owners beginning Nov. 6.

Neither recall carries a “do not drive” warning from the federal safety regulator.

Also on Friday, Volkswagen slashed its full-year profit forecast, saying it now expects an operating return on sales of no more than 1 percent, down from its previous forecast of between 4 and 5.5 percent.

The automaker cited a “further deterioration in market environment,” particularly in China, as well as an “accelerated shift in demand” toward battery-electric vehicles. It said those pressures are expected to weigh especially heavily on earnings at Audi and its namesake Volkswagen brand.

The company also said revised assumptions about Porsche’s business prospects would result in a write-down of roughly 6 billion euro, or $6.9 billion. Volkswagen owns more than three-quarters of the sports-car maker.