Volkswagen Caddy Front Suspension Strut: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

On the Caddy, front-end knocking often points to worn drop links — but on a nearly-new van, it can be leftover transport packing dealers forget to remove.

Illustration of a suspension strut and coil spring

Illustration for editorial purposes

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — front struts (aftermarket) Bilstein 22-131607 / KYB 335808

Accuracy note: Covers the Volkswagen Caddy (2K 2010-2020) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Front struts, lower arms and top mounts are sold by side and by suspension spec — standard, sport / lowered (S line, M Sport, R-Line, ST-Line etc.), heavy-duty and adaptive / electronic damping all use different part numbers, and some makers split by engine or front axle load. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand; genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one. Confirm the fit against your VIN, and replace struts and top mounts in pairs.

Front strut / shock absorber (aftermarket)	Bilstein 22-131607 (B4 OE replacement, twin-tube gas, 50 mm housing, top pin); Bilstein 22-131614 (B4, twin-tube gas, 55 mm housing); Bilstein 35-108177 (B6 Performance, upside-down monotube gas, 55 mm); Bilstein 35-108191 (B8 Performance Plus, upside-down monotube gas, 55 mm); Sachs 317 575 (twin-tube gas, 55 mm, SFE36/25X164A); Sachs 317 578 (twin-tube gas, 55 mm, SFE36/25X157A); KYB 335808 (Excel-G, twin-tube gas, 55 mm, 25 mm rod)
Front lower arm / wishbone (aftermarket)	LH Meyle 116 050 0118 (with ball joint, Original quality), Ridex 273C0814, Delphi TC2970 (without ball joint, 560 mm), Vaico V10-7413, Sidem 63972 (sold with ball joint); RH Lemförder 38183 01 (pairs with 38182 01), Meyle 116 050 0119 (pair of the LH arm), Delphi TC2971 (without ball joint), Sasic 7476463, Ridex 273C0815.
Top mount / strut bearing (aftermarket)	Lemförder 27184 01 and Sachs 802 321 (without bearing, 2 per axle); Lemförder 31770 01 (front L/R); Sachs 802 417 (with rolling bearing); Febi 22498 (rolling bearing, 68 mm inner, 111 mm outer); Meyle 100 641 0022 (ball bearing, Original quality); SKF VKDA 35122 (with bearing); Lemförder 31764 01 / Sachs 801 038 (bearing).
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	Sasic 7476463 lower arm RH quotes 1K0407152BL+ and 1K0407366C; Sachs 802 321 and Lemförder 27184 01 mounts quote 1K0 412 331 B, 1K0 412 331 C, 1KD 412 331 A; Lemförder 31764 01 and Sachs 801 038 bearings quote 1K0 412 249 B, 6N0 412 249 B/C/D/E; Maxgear 72-3307 quotes 6Q0 412 331 B S1. No OE numbers for the struts.
Fitment notes	Standard struts only (no sport or adaptive item listed); the strut range splits by 50 mm and 55 mm housing, so match to the axle load/engine.

Confirmed: Drop Links Are a Genuine Weak Point — But Check This First on a Newer Car — Volkswagen Caddy Front Suspension

Across VW owner forums, one specific weak point comes up consistently enough on older Golf-platform cars to be worth checking first: the anti-roll bar drop links, which wear and produce exactly the kind of knock or clunk heard over bumps and rough surfaces. A genuinely useful diagnostic method before replacing anything: since drop links sit under constant tension normally, disconnecting one end temporarily and taking the car for a short test drive is a reliable way to confirm whether it's genuinely the source of the noise — if the knock disappears with it disconnected, that confirms the drop link.

A genuinely distinctive finding worth knowing on a nearly-new car: some vehicles leave the factory or dealer with plastic transport packing pieces still fitted inside the strut assembly, intended to protect the suspension during shipping and meant to be removed during pre-delivery inspection — but occasionally get missed. This produces a genuine knocking noise that has nothing to do with wear at all, and is a simple, free fix once identified, rather than a worn part needing replacement. Worth specifically asking a dealer or garage to check for this if a knock appears on a car that's only a few months or a couple of years old, before assuming genuine suspension wear.

If drop links check out fine, the next most commonly reported cause is the strut top mount bearing, or — on higher-mileage examples — the lower control arm's rear bush, which can develop a "sloppy" fit even while the rubber itself still looks visually sound. Genuinely worth checking both before assuming a full strut or shock absorber replacement is needed, since these are considerably cheaper fixes if they turn out to be the actual cause.

Volkswagen Caddy Front Suspension Strut: The System That Quietly Does All the Work

On the Volkswagen Caddy, every pothole, bump and cornering load gets filtered through these parts long before it's felt inside the car, which is precisely why wear rarely shows up as one clean symptom. A methodical, process-of-elimination check tends to find the actual culprit much faster than guessing.

Volkswagen Caddy Front Suspension Strut: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: How to change a front shock strut on VW CADDY 3 Van [TUTORIAL AUTODOC]

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Caddy 3 = 2K

Volkswagen Caddy Front Suspension reference plate

Before you buy: suspension components vary by trim, engine weight and whether your car has the standard or sport-tuned setup. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Volkswagen Caddy Front Suspension Strut: What It Does

The Volkswagen Caddy's front struts fold two components into one: the damper and the coil spring's mount. A worn strut means the car keeps moving after a bump rather than settling promptly, and that lingering movement can accelerate uneven tyre wear over time.

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Volkswagen Caddy Front Suspension Strut: Warning Signs, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Front Suspension Strut Guide for symptoms of worn bushings and ball joints, confirming fitment against your VIN, and rubber vs polyurethane guidance.

More Volkswagen Front Suspension Strut

The same part, covered across other Volkswagen models.