NHTSA Complaint #11301347 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 1 BLOCK ON THIS STREET AFTER HAVING TURNED ONTO IT FROM ANOTHER STREET. WHEN THE CAR DIED, "STEERING WHEEL LOCKED" DISPLAYED ON DASH PANEL. CAR WOULD NOT START, STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T MOVE BEYOND ABOUT 1" TO THE RIGHT. MESSAGE WOULD DISPLAY "STEERING WHEEL STILL LOCKED" OR "MOVE STEERING WHEEL." AFTER 40 MINUTES OF THIS ROTATION OF MESSAGES AND TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE, MOVED THE STEERING WHEEL UP AND DOWN. CAR FINALLY STARTED BUT ONLY FOR 3 SECONDS. BATTERY LIGHT WOULD COME ON. WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES DOING THIS AND MOVING IT 30 FEET TO SAFELY PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS ABOUT 30 DEGREES F. FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THIS, I WOULD PERIODICALLY HEAR A TICKING SOUND AFTER REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. AFTER THE TICKING STOPPED, A MESSAGE WOULD DISPLAY ON THE DASH PANEL "STEERING COLUMN LOCKED. VISIT WORKSHOP!" IT WAS EXTREMELY COLD WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN EVERY TIME I TURNED OFF THE CAR, AND THE CAR STARTED FINE EACH TIME AFTER. OUTSIDE TEMP WAS IN THE TEENS (F) WHEN THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENED.