NHTSA Complaint #10372314 — 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

PROBLEM: HEADS UP DISPLAY IN CAR SAYS "STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE." CAR STARTS UP, THEN STALLS AND THE ENGINE CUTS OFF. THIS WARNING IS DISPLAYED, ALONG WITH THREE LOUD BEEPS. AFTER THIS MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED, THE CAR WILL NOT START UP WITH REPEATED ATTEMPTS AT INSERTING THE KEY. TRIES TO START, STALLS, TRIES TO START, STALLS, ETC. SOMETIMES IT WILL START ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE 30TH+ ATTEMPT. MAKE THE CAR VERY SPORADIC IN ITS DRIVING USE WITH WHETHER IT WILL EVEN TURN ON OR NOT! NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP THIS PROBLEM. TURNING THE STEER WHEEL DURING START, DEPRESSING THE BRAKE, HAVING THE PARKING BRAKE ON, ETC. IT SHOULD BE NOTED HOWEVER THAT SOMETIMES THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR AT ALL. I WILL INSERT THE KEY AND IT WILL START LIKE NORMAL. BUT THEN SOMETIMES I WILL GET THE ERROR ALONG WITH MULTIPLE FAILED ATTEMPTS AT STARTING THE ENGINE. PLANNING ON TAKING THIS CAR TO DEALER SOON AND HOPE THAT WARRANTY WILL COVER IT. *TR