Steering Rack Issue - Stealers Wants To Replace Front Suspension

[Kermit]

Hi All,

New to this forum having been on the TT forum for the last three years but now proud owner of an 07 GTI   

Before I took the plunge I did the research and knew about some of the MK5 problems - steering rack being one of them but from most of the posts it seemed this started 2005/06 with the odd 07 car.  I missed out on two high spec GTI's because I wanted to travel and test drive so when mine came up I did the deal over the phone and the car was delivered and my TT taken away.  Unfortunately the first time I drove my GTI I could hear a catching/clicking noise at low speed but only turning to the left (so it links in with other posts).  Anyway - had it in at the stealers today and told them I thought it was the steering rack but they said they need to replace the suspension coils and mounts as the noise is "travelling"! - I'm not so sure.  I have a friend that has the MK2 TT (October 07 build) and this car made the exact same noise as mine.  He took it back into Audi and they said it's the steering rack, replaced it and the noise went away!

So, I was wondering of the people that had the "steering rack noise" - what solutions did the dealers suggest and did any of them work?

[maxamus]

I've started getting this clicking noise when turning left. This started to occur once i installed 18" alloys on it. It only happens at low speeds and to be honest it doesnt bother me. It doenst happen all the time only sometimes.
Unfortunetly, even if i wanted to get it sorted it would cost me a fortune because my warranty has run out.

[KentBladeboy]

Kermit

Guess you have read the saga in the maintenance section on the steering rack, I have been through 7 months of back and forth for coil changes, steering arms, upper mount bushes, track rod ends and no joy. I kept telling the dealer it was the rack, and finally they changed the rack, and at last no noise.
According to my dealer (and other forums I have read) it was a modified rack, I don't really care,just that finally peace has returned to the steering, but if you want a new front end just go along with them! 

[Kermit]

Thanks for the replies - KentBladeboy, looks like my dealer is doing the same process of deduction - which will probably end up at the steering rack! Its always good to get new parts but at the same time I'm thinking the car would have gone through a QA process at the factory and the local stealer mechanic may end up cocking something up and introducing more problems - maybe I should trust them more (if only warranty work could be done by decent VW independents). Do you know if your new rack was a different part number to the standard rack or was it locally modified in some way by your dealer? I told the service person several times I think it is the steering rack, I even printed out posts from the forum so they could see the thread of information but she told me they have to do their own investigation and not to trust everything on the internet!  Reading some of the responses on this forum I would say people here know more than the VW technicians at my local dealer 

I'll check out the maintenance section again, I'm sure I read your post but didn't have it with me yesterday - doh!

[KentBladeboy]

Kermit,  I have assumed (never a good thing!!) that this is a modded part from VW, it was fast tracked from Germany, as there were none in the UK. The steering wheel is still on the right, so its not a euro special 
There are no pn's on the service report as it was all warranty work.
Understand your concern about getting your car spannered and coming out worse than it went in, just gotta make sure you have some faith in your stealer, if not go somewhere else.