VW Passat Hybrid Steering & ABS Warning Lights Crisis

As someone with good hands-on experience working on hybrid vehicles, I dealt with a similar situation on my VW Golf GTE Hybrid 2020. The symptoms you describe match what I experienced almost exactly. In my case, a faulty tire pressure sensor valve was causing erratic pressure readings, which triggered multiple warning systems. The tire pressure monitoring system is interconnected with other safety features, including ABS and power steering assistance, as a safety precaution. The first step should be checking actual tire pressures with a reliable tire gauge. Often the tire pressure warning is the root cause, not just a symptom. A proper inspection revealed air leak around one of the valve stems, which was causing gradual pressure loss. The repair involved replacing the defective valve and recalibrating the tire pressure monitoring system. Total cost was 280€ for parts, labor and system reset. To better assist, could you provide: Current tire pressure readings from all wheels, Whether the warnings appear immediately at startup, If you notice any actual tire pressure loss over time, The exact warning messages displayed, Whether the symptoms get worse during driving These details would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or points to a different problem.

Rechecked all tires manually since posting, pressures normal except slight low tire pressure in front right (2.1 bar vs recommended 2.4). Still getting ABS and steering warnings though. Last service was 2 months ago at 51000km. Will get it checked at workshop tomorrow but good to know about the potential link between tire pressure monitoring and other systems. The gradual pressure loss scenario matches what I noticed. Has been slowly getting worse over past 2 weeks.

This sounds exactly like what happened with my VW Golf GTE. Even with just a minor pressure loss like you describe, these interconnected systems can trigger multiple warnings. The 0.3 bar difference you found is significant enough to potentially cause these symptoms. From your description of gradual worsening, I strongly suspect you have a slow punctured tire situation similar to what I dealt with. The front right position is particularly prone to this issue in these models. While the current pressure readings might seem only slightly off, the tire monitoring system is quite sensitive. My recommendation based on my experience: Get the tire thoroughly checked for small punctures or valve issues, Have all tire pressure sensors tested, not just the one showing low readings, Request a full system diagnostic scan, Ask them to inspect the wheel speed sensors, as these can be affected by pressure variations The repair cost will likely be much lower if it is indeed just a tire/sensor issue rather than an actual ABS or power steering problem. My initial concern about multiple system failures turned out to be just a tire pressure monitoring problem that was making other systems react defensively.

Thanks for the great tips, especially about checking the wheel speed sensors. Just got back from the workshop and wanted to close this thread with what they found. You were spot on about the tire pressure sensor being the main culprit. They found a small nail causing a slow punctured tire in the front right wheel. The tire pressure sensor was also damaged, likely from driving with low pressure. The seemingly unrelated steering and ABS warnings were indeed just safety responses to the pressure monitoring system readings. Total repair was 195€, they replaced the tire sensor, patched the tire, and reset all systems. All warning lights are now off and steering works perfectly again. Really helpful to know how these systems are interconnected. Could have saved time troubleshooting if I had checked the tire pressure more regularly before the warnings started. Will definitely pay more attention to any gradual changes in tire pressure going forward. Good reminder that even a small air leak can trigger multiple system warnings in modern cars.