Steering Rod Relay Connection problems of the 2000 Volkswagen Passat

My 2000 vw Passat, with 38,000 miles, has worn tie rods to the point where I have been advised it could be dangerous to drive. This problem was discovered when the car was having an oil change and I mentioned I had been hearing creaking sounds from the front while doing 3 point turns over the past month. My mechanic (not a dealer) thought there had been a recall for the problem. Upon checking, the recall was for 1999 Passats only. Since the 2000 model is the exactly the same as the 1999 model, why was this recall not extended to the 2000 cars? I now have to replace the tie rods at my own expense. Please note the service action issued by vw in November 2004 did not include the tie rods.