Volkswagen and Audi bulletin SM 55-2025
What it saysThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Volkswagen and Audi filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Oct 24, 2025, received Nov 10, 2025, about the steering. It names 24 model years across Volkswagen and Audi (2016–2026). A manufacturer communication is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Volkswagen · Audi.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM 55-2025 | Other | Oct 24, 2025 | 11025426 |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5Q1-423-062-N | — | — | |
| 5QB-423-062-H | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Volkswagen and Audi’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themVolkswagen 16 model years
Audi 8 model years
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 24 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,841 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 79 of them name Steering — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
My vehicle was in motion pulling out of my driveway and turning onto the street when the steering failed completely and I was unable to direct my car. To avoid blocking traffic I had to pull into my neighbors front yard. The car was in motion and around other cars when I lost control. This is the second incident with this vehicle
2016 Volkswagen Tiguan · Steering · filed with NHTSA May 6, 2019 · ODI 11205905
Steering wheel controls stopped working, no horn either. Probably no airbag but haven't got into an accident. There was recall on the same part for the until 2018, but the new part I was going to install lists that if fits cars 2016-2022 Part # 5K0-953-569-BC Recall from VW. Number: VWP-18-11, Will replace part for my fiance
2020 Volkswagen Passat · Steering · filed with NHTSA Dec 18, 2025 · ODI 11705961
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized. The " Steering Failure " message was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road.
2021 Audi Q3 · Steering · filed with NHTSA Aug 17, 2026 · ODI 11757395
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the steering
Source: same model, same component group27 other manufacturer communications filed against these Volkswagen and Audi models under the same component group (steering), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Volkswagen list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_2074846_5 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations. |
| TSB_2083284_1 | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This Pending Service Solution (PSS) requests that technicians create a record in the PSS database when whirring/humming noises are heard fro… |
| TSB_2074475_5 | Service bulletin | Aug 21, 2026 | This bulletin provides service information when DTC U0101000 is logged, lost communication with the TCM in diagnostic address 23. |
| V4418012043620_10 | Service bulletin | Aug 11, 2026 | Warranty Alignment Worksheet |
| V4823022072282_3 | Service bulletin | Aug 3, 2026 | Clean and install an additional plastic "ring" to prevent ingress of dirt,hair. Foreign bodies into the clock spring. |
| TSB_2082756_1 | Service bulletin | Jul 20, 2026 | This bulletin provides informaiton when there is a rattling noise while steering shortly before full lock. |
| V4826012080200_1 | Service bulletin | Jan 20, 2026 | Assessment of Damage to steering wheel leather |
| TSB_2074846_4 | Service bulletin | Jan 13, 2026 | This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations. |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Volkswagen and Audi, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Volkswagen and Audi SM 55-2025 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SM 55-2025 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Volkswagen warranty extension on file lists the ones Volkswagen has filed.
Which vehicles does SM 55-2025 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 24 model years across 2 brands (Volkswagen and Audi): 2026 Audi Q3, 2025 Audi Q3, 2024 Audi Q3, 2023 Audi Q3, 2022 Audi Q3, 2021 Audi Q3 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.