It seems Volkswagen's woes extend far beyond shuttering factories and cutting thousands of jobs.

While the German automaker already has its hands full as it weathers a financial storm, the brand also has to deal with a massive recall. In fact, the recall affects not just Volkswagen cars, but also other brands that are part of the Volkswagen Auto Group (VAG).

Volkswagen is reportedly preparing to recall an estimated four million vehicles globally due to a steering defect caused by a single bolt in the steering system. With the recall affecting brands like Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, and Seat, this might be the brand's largest recall since the infamous Dieselgate, which happened over a decade ago.

According to Volkswagen, the steering defect is caused by a single bolt that holds the steering rack to the subframe. The single bolt carries a higher risk of corrosion, and if it snaps, the housing of the steering rack can crack and compromise the steering function in the long term.

Volkswagen says they will replace the bolt in the steering assembly, free of charge to affected customers, and will not take more than an hour to repair. Unfortunately, some 2.16 million Volkswagen vehicles will need to have the bolts replaced. Meanwhile, affected Audi vehicles are at 700,000. Also included in the massive recall is Skoda, which includes over a million vehicles. Last but not least is Seat, with 200,000 vehicles needing to have the bolt replaced.

With an estimated 4 million vehicles affected, we're curious if any of the models sold by Volkswagen Philippines years ago need to have their steering systems checked for a faulty bolt.