WOLFSBURG, Germany (April 30)—Volkswagen A.G. is recalling 870,000 VW and Audi vehicles worldwide to check the front axle rubber boot for damage and possible replacement.
VW said if the boots are damaged, it could lead to premature wear and in isolated cases to the failure of the bearing arm, primarily on high-mileage vehicles.
The affected vehicles are VW Passat models built between 1996 and 1999, Audi A4 and A8s from 1994 to 1999 and Audi A6s built between 1997 and 1999.
The company said it has detected boot failures on about 0.1 percent of cars inspected so far, and that it expects about 1 percent of the vehicles affected by the recall will need repairs. A company spokesman estimated the repairs would cost the company about $3 million at that rate of repair.