Power steering

I'll admit i felt like an idiot looking for the power steering reservoir on my 2013... But i am definitely getting some noise / little grinding off of it... and a bit of hesitation at time of turning. I'm not really sure what to do... anyone had any issues. Is it one of those things that just gets worse until you have to replace it? Suggestions?

As far as I know for NMS Passat, its all electric power steering. No mechanical pump.


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I am hearing the same sound you are describing. It happens intermittently so the dealership of course has not been able to duplicate it.

You do not give much description of your issue, but the control arm compliance bushings are a common failure item on the NMS Passat. Usually it manifests as a clunking or shifting when hitting the brakes and perhaps turning during parking maneuvers.

There is also some cases of subframe bolts needing to be tightened a bit, although I do not think I have run into that on the NMS. Subframe needs to come down to R&R the control arms to swap the bushings anyway (at least that is the east way).

It felt more in the steering but what you are saying make sense... tons of squeaks on braking and acceleration these days which i attributed to control arms since all the sway bars and other suspension parts have been upgraded in the last year or two....

Thank you... just out of curiosity does the electrical steering just stop when that part fails or would there be a degrading of steering leading up to the failure?

You'll have to let us know, I've never seen a VAG electric rack fail. I have seen them break due to a crash. I have seen rodents chew through the harness. I have even seen one come loose from the subframe. But I have yet to see one "fail".

FWIW, lots of vehicles use electric power steering. Most all Hyundai/Kia products, most newer Fords, most newer GM smaller vehicles, the current and previous F150, lots of them.

My steering rack was replaced because it was binding. Not really sure what that means with a steering rack but it would shake a little at freeway speeds. At first I thought it was wheel balancing but a new steering rack fixed the shaking.


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