Steering rack OEM Volkswagen or ZF

PartReview Score

Rank #3 in ranking

3.7

Leaks

2.7

Noise

1.8

Play

4.3

No data

PR Score

Ranking

Votes

Reviews

Average rating

Properties

Car

PartReview Score

Rank #2 in ranking

3.8

Leaks

1.6

Noise

4.6

Play

3.3

Owners' choice:

Volkswagen Passat

Reviews

All

OEM Volkswagen

OEM Volkswagen › Steering rack

Rmcnelly 9 Jun 2024, 18:31

Play:

Rating 5.0

A friend installed a 2016 Golf R dynamic steering rack into my 2017 Alltrack S. Ready to go back under the car. Went from 2.8 (linear) to just less than 2 turns (variable) lock to lock. Got a chance to drive it hard and am super happy with this!

Pros: super happy, variable ratio

Cons: larger turning radius

Vehicle: Volkswagen

ZF › Steering rack

louis_londoncartel 19 Jun 2023, 10:00

Leaks:
Noise:

Rating 4.0

So the ZF steering rack finally got through customs and arrived safe and sound - thanks UPS. The rack is originally from a VR6 Passat so in theory should be up to the task. Got it installed and hooked up and so far no leaks. Immediately I noticed the pump is a lot quieter connected to this rack than it was when connected to the TRW rack which makes me think the TRW rack couldn't handle the pressure coming from the pump? Or maybe there was just something wrong with it internally. So far no leaks from the ZF rack so fingers crossed it'll hold up well when I get it back on the ground and go for a test drive.

Pros: pump is a lot quieter, no leaks

Vehicle: Volkswagen Passat

ZF › Steering rack

b554me3 11 May 2023, 03:52

Play:

Rating 4.0

I can confirm, I had to change the rack on my 2001.5 Passat because the steering wheel was loose and they are in fact interchangeable.

Pros: interchangeable rack

Cons: steering wheel was loose

Vehicle: Volkswagen Passat

OEM Volkswagen › Steering rack

RobTheRobot 29 Oct 2022, 01:51

Play:

Rating 5.0

My rack came furnished with new tie rod inner and outer ends(Affects steering accuracy and tigheness) and boots installed, OEM, ready to go.

Pros: new tie rod ends, boots

Part number: 5N1423058E

OEM Volkswagen › Steering rack

dragonpalm 20 Feb 2022, 16:42

Play:

Rating 5.0

Dealership replaced electronic steering rack under warranty and issue fixed.

Pros: issue fixed

Vehicle: Volkswagen Tiguan

Mileage: 30000 km

OEM Volkswagen › Steering rack

Misio9 7 Aug 2020, 18:20

Leaks:

Rating 5.0

I just got mine replaced like two weeks ago and no problems since then. Mine was bad from the very beginning literally l noticed it few days after I purchased my brand new 2019 Atlas.

Pros: no problems since then

Vehicle: Volkswagen

Mileage: 6500 km

OEM Volkswagen › Steering rack

UmiZumi 1 Oct 2020, 11:43

Noise:

Rating 3.0

I just had mine replaced on my 2019 SE R-Line this week. The noise was gone but the alignment was off!

Pros: noise was gone

Cons: alignment was off

Vehicle: Volkswagen

ZF › Steering rack

404_OSHA_VIOLATION 11 Feb 2020, 13:45

Leaks:

Rating 2.5

I replaced the steering rack on the car because the original rack was leaking. The replacement rack was an OEM from a junkyard. The old rack was a TRW and the new one is a ZF. The steering is heavier overall than with the old rack. My friend says it's definitely harder right than left.

Cons: heavier steering, harder right turn

Vehicle: BMW

Mileage: 206000 km

ZF › Steering rack

6Foot2EyesOfBlue1973 19 Sep 2023, 06:46

Leaks:

Rating 1.0

944 were notorious for leaky steering racks. We replaced many ZF steering racks in 944s back in the day. Usually when they went south, they would leave a sizeable puddle of ATF, underneath the car. Sometimes you need to pull the rack boots back, and the fluid would pour out.

Cons: notorious for leaks, left fluid puddles

Vehicle: Porsche

OEM Volkswagen › Steering rack

yowzaa 23 Aug 2023, 17:32

Play:

Rating 2.0

The steering rack was replaced earlier this year when it started to lock randomly.

Cons: steering rack lock randomly

Vehicle: Volkswagen Tiguan

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Which steering rack to choose — OEM Volkswagen or ZF?

If choosing steering rack across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.

We compare steering rack across these categories:

Comparison of steering rack OEM Volkswagen and ZF

PR Score.
Overall ranking.
Vote balance.
Average rating.
Number of reviews.
Feature ratings.
Car owners’ choice.

Which steering rack are better — ZF or OEM Volkswagen?

In March 2026 on PartReview, steering rack ZF were overall better than OEM Volkswagen.

OEM Volkswagen received a PR Score of 70 out of 100, and ZF scored 78 points.
OEM Volkswagen ranked 3 in the overall ranking, and ZF ranked 2.
The average rating is higher for ZF (3.8) than for OEM Volkswagen (3.7).
Steering rack ZF have better feature ratings than OEM Volkswagen:
- Leaks - owners believe, that this property for OEM Volkswagen is better than ZF.
- Play - drivers claim, that this property for OEM Volkswagen is outperforms ZF.
- Noise - reviews suggest, that this property for ZF is preferred to OEM Volkswagen.

Which steering rack are more popular — OEM Volkswagen or ZF?

Steering rack OEM Volkswagen and ZF were equally popular according to data in March 2026.

By vote balance, steering rack ZF surpassed OEM Volkswagen:

For OEM Volkswagen, the ratio of positive (42) to negative (18) votes is 24 votes.
For ZF, the ratio of positive (37) to negative (10) votes is 27 votes.

By number of reviews, steering rack OEM Volkswagen surpassed ZF:

For steering rack OEM Volkswagen there are 19 reviews: 12 positive, 3 neutral, 4 negative.
For steering rack ZF there are 15 reviews: 11 positive, 2 neutral, 2 negative.

Which steering rack do car owners prefer — OEM Volkswagen or ZF?

In March 2026, according to PartReview, steering rack ZF led more car-specific ratings than OEM Volkswagen:

ZF are chosen by owners of cars such as: Volkswagen Passat, and others.

Steering rack OEM Volkswagen have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.

Other comparisons of steering rack

If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.

For example, comparisons of steering rack OEM Volkswagen with: OEM Honda, OEM BMW, OEM Subaru, OEM Mazda.

Also available: comparisons of steering rack ZF with: OEM Honda, OEM BMW, OEM Subaru, OEM Mazda.

You can also see who is better among other steering rack manufacturers: OEM BMW or OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen or OEM Honda, OEM Honda or ZF, OEM Subaru or OEM Honda, OEM Mazda or OEM Honda.