2003 Volkswagen Passat Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 2%of 628 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 21,269miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the steering of the 2003 Volkswagen Passat, 2% of the 628 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 21,269 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On friday, january 10, 2014 I was on my way home on braddock road. It was a rainy dark night and so the traffic was moving at less than the speed limit. As I came round the bend just past t.j. High school, I went over a deep pothole that caused damage to my car. My steering wheel began to rattle and shake and I knew my car was damaged. I managed to get home and my husband decided we needed to have the car checked. The mechanic at volks werks discovered that the left front rim was damaged and the wheel alignment was off. …”
NHTSA complaint #10561493, filed 2014-01, 111,150 miles“I took my car to Volkswagen dealership to find out why my brake light was on and why my brakes would flutter at times when using them. I got estimate that my brake reservoir was bad and the sensor that it would be okay to drive till I got fixed in a week. I faxed my warranty papers to dealership to find out to see what was covered..on saturday 5 days later when I was driving 35 miles an hour tried to stop and brake pedal went to floor had nothing to stop me but the car in front of me. I was issued a ticket had my car towed and I. …”
NHTSA complaint #10573575, filed 2014-03, 181 miles“New '03 Passat purchased in dec. '02. Feb. '03 I noticed difficulty with steering when the wheel was turned to the extreme left or right. After several trips to the dealership in which power steering fluid was found to be low and refilled, it was determined that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. In mar '03, the power steering rack was replaced by Volkswagen under warranty. Nov. '04, I again noticed difficulty with the steering in extreme left or right wheel positions. Dec. '04, vw determines that the power steering rack again needs to be replaced. …”
NHTSA complaint #10104310, filed 2004-12, 5,000 miles“I recently leased a vw passatt station wagon and things have gone wrong with it even before the car had 300 miles on it. The car has less than 5000 miles on it and it has spent some 10 days at the repair shop. Defects have included a transmission that would disengage, heated seats that would not turn off, A/C and side mirrors that would not work, a module had to be replaced, the car had to be aligned, the front spoiler fell off, a speaker had to be replaced, part of the trim on the back was falling off, the memory settings on the driver's seat were not working, and the sun roof was rattling. …”
NHTSA complaint #10000612, filed 2002-12, 3,000 miles“The contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen Passat. While driving approximately 10 MPH the steering wheel locked causing the driver to crash into a fence. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The technicians were unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Approximate failure mileage was 95,000. Updated 05/03/11 updated 06/20/11”
NHTSA complaint #10390289, filed 2011-03, 95,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10242375Nov 25, 2013VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10238966May 31, 2013After replacing a Bosch 5.7 ABS module, refer to the table below to determine correct module coding value based on vehicle PR codes. Listed login code must be entered under…
Steering: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 | 15% |
| 2021 | 2 | 10% |
| 2020 | 2 | 11% |
| 2019 | 1 | 8% |
| 2018 | 2 | 4% |
| 2017 | 16 | 15% |
| 2016 | 19 | 18% |
| 2015 | 26 | 11% |
| 2014 | 44 | 7% |
| 2013 | 51 | 7% |
| 2012 | 46 | 10% |
| 2011 | 2 | 13% |
| 2010 | 13 | 8% |
| 2009 | 20 | 14% |
| 2008 | 12 | 7% |
| 2007 | 15 | 6% |
| 2006 | 112 | 19% |
| 2005 | 2 | 1% |
| 2004 | 2 | 1% |
| 2003 | 10 | 2% |
| 2002 | 1 | 0% |
| 2001 | 13 | 3% |
| 2000 | 25 | 5% |
| 1999 | 76 | 11% |
| 1998 | 52 | 16% |
| 1995 | 4 | 4% |
| 1994 | 2 | 8% |
Other parts of the 2003 Volkswagen Passat
169 complaintsEngine cooling
131 complaintsSeats
97 complaintsElectrical system
90 complaintsBrakes
42 complaintsExterior lighting
39 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
35 complaintsBody and structure
29 complaintsAir bags
23 complaintsEngine
23 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
22 complaintsVehicle speed control
14 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Volkswagen Passat
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology