NHTSA Complaint #10725966 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN CC

VEHICLE MAKES A GRINDING AND CREAKING SOUND FROM STEERING ASSEMBLY. I AM AWARE OF SEVERAL OTHER VW/AUDI MODELS (A4, CC, PASSAT, JETTA, GTI) EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS REFUSED TO PUT OUT A RECALL OR FIX THE ISSUE UNDER WARRANTY OR GOOD WILL. AS PER DEALER RECOMMENDATION, IF THE ISSUE GOES UNFIXED COULD RESULT IN A FATAL ACCIDENT DUE TO POTENTIALLY LOSING COMPLETE STEERING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE IS BARELY 5YRS OLD AND LESS THAN 70K MILES. I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL ONLINE POSTS IN FORUMS FROM DRIVERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR IF NOT MORE CATASTROPHIC INCIDENTS WHERE THEY LOST COMPLETE STEERING CONTROL (FOUND IN VARIOUS VW/AUDI FORUMS). WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO LEFT OR RIGHT, THERE IS A GROAN, GRINDING OR WHIRRING SOUND EMITTING FROM THE STEERING ASSEMBLY; THERE IS ALSO THE OCCASIONAL POPPING SOUNDING FROM EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT, DEPENDING ON DIRECTION AND ANGLE OF STEERING INPUT. THERE IS ALSO A CREAKING SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARD FROM THE RIGHT / PASSENGER WHEEL WHEN TRAVELING AT LOW TO MODERATE SPEEDS. WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE VIBRATION OR NOTICEABLE FEEDBACK IN STEERING WHEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (50MPH +) SIMILAR TO TIE-ROD END LINKS GOING BAD. OR WILL FEEL NOTICEABLE FEED BACK WHILE TAKING A SLOW CORNER WHEN WHEEL IS HELD OR TURNED TO LEFT (AS IN GETTING ON OR OFF AN EXIT RAMP). I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH VW BUT THEY WILL NOT RESOLVE OR HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THE REPAIRS CLAIMING THAT VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. HOWEVER, STEERING SYSTEMS SHOULD NOT FAIL IN SUCH AN EARLY STAGE OF A VEHICLE'S LIFE UNLESS WORKMANSHIP AND QUALITY ARE SUB-PAR.