Volkswagen recalls nearly 13,000 Audi luxury sedans for engine fire risk

Volkswagen recalls nearly 13,000 Audi luxury sedans for engine fire risk

August 7, 2020 Nate Gouldsbrough

Pleasanton, CA – July 16th, 2020 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS: VWAGY) is recalling  all 2013-2018 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles that were manufactured between June 2012 and July 2017. The company warns that a faulty part of the engine compartment may increase the risk of a fire.

Recall summary

The recall stems from an issue with the engine compartment seal, a flexible strip that seals the engine compartment against the hood and helps keep the engine cool.

In “rare cases,” after being exposed to large temperature fluctuations near the hot engine, metal inside the rubber seal can warp and deform the seal. As a result, the seal—and possibly components surrounding it—can scorch and cause a fire.

Smells like trouble

The first sign of a problem for one Audi owner in McKinney, Texas, was a “rubber/plastic smell coming from under the hood,” the driver said in a post to an Audi World forum.

“I opened things up and the rubber seal (that seals the engine compartment against the hood when it is closed) had fallen off right above one of the turbo assemblies.”

The poster drives a 2016 Audi S8 and claimed to have looked into the issue back in March, four months before Volkswagen issued their recall.

Volkswagen became aware of incidents of burning and warping  seals in September 2019, but received no reports from North America.

Safety tips

If you smell something burning while driving, stop the car someplace safe. Check the tires first. Wait for the engine to cool down before popping the hood to take  a look– you  do not want to burn your fingers on a hot component. 

If you suspect there is an actual fire under the hood, do not open it. Oxygen will rush in and feed the flames. Instead, get yourself and others away from the vehicle, at least 100 feet. Call the fire department at 911 when you are in a secure location. Do not return to the vehicle for any reason.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), car fires kill over 300 people a year on average. But, the number may be higher because it is often hard to tell whether the person died from the crash or from the fire. Between 2008 and 2017, vehicle fires caused, on average, over a thousand injuries per year. 

The repair

Volkswagen dealers will install a retaining plate that will hold the engine seal in place and keep it from loosening. As of [date of publication] the repair is not yet available. Repairs may be forthcoming by September, when the recall officially begins.

In the meantime, customers can check the condition of their engine compartment seal by looking under the hood to see if the seal is in the correct position. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Nearly 13,000 cars are included in this Volkswagen recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool to check your car for open recalls.

Nate GouldsbroughVolkswagen recalls nearly 13,000 Audi luxury sedans for engine fire risk
Audi’s May Lose Steering Control

Audi’s May Lose Steering Control

March 25, 2020 Marshall Earley


Laguna Hills, CA – March 25, 2020 – Volkswagen Group of American, Inc. is recalling 2019 Audi Q8 vehicles and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles.

  • A manufacturing defect in the 2019 Audi Q8 and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles may cause drivers to lose ability to control steering. 
  • Bolts connecting both the steering gear and the steering shaft may loosen, resulting in a loss of steering control.
  • There have been three reported field incidents surrounding the recall, but no reported injuries. 

The defect

If you have been having trouble using your steering wheel on your Audi vehicles then your car may be under this recall. Vehicle owners experiences remain the same across the board – the steering wheel becomes unresponsive during the vehicle’s operation.

One Audi Q7 owner in Toronto, outlined his experience when his “steering wheel suddenly stiffened and locked.” In March 2018 he wrote, “Sometime about 2 months ago, while driving in local streets, my steering wheel suddenly stiffened and locked.

Let me explain… imagine your car is off and your steering wheel doesn’t move – the “lock” feeling is kind of like that! The “stiffening” feeling is what leads up to that.”

Don’t worry, there have been no injuries associated with this recall – but if not fixed, the problem could be a serious risk to your safety and the safety of other vehicles.

Even if you have not had problems with the steering assembly on your vehicle, it would be better safe than sorry to check the VIN of your vehicle for specific recalls.

Volkswagen aware of the problem

Volkswagen first received reports of certain incidents involving the steering wheels back in February 2019. The steering wheel in the incidents reported to Volkswagen seemed to be overly loose, leaving room for excessive play when the drivers tried to turn the wheel.

Excessive play here means that regularly a slight turn of the wheel to the right would have turned the vehicle slightly to the right, but now a drastic turn of the steering wheel will only slightly turn the vehicle in that direction.

Although this is the first incident that Volkswagen chose to report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it seems that Audi’s have been having a couple of problems before that.

In 2006, a customer in Mexico reported that their Audi A6 had a few malfunctions with the steering wheel’s more technical features. All buttons on the steering wheel, including volume control and the car horn, stopped working entirely.

Ten years later, another customer experienced the same problem, writing in the online forum Audizine, “My steering wheel controls such as the volume control and track change function don’t work.”

2016 seemed to be a year filled with steering wheel issues for Audi Q7 and Q8 models, for multiple other owners wrote to online forums complaining of “hard/stiff steering”.

This correlates more to what March 9, 2020’s recall is referring to – a bolt that was not tightened enough causing the steering to either stiffen up or become too loose. Either way, if your vehicle is affected Volkswagen and Audi will fix your Audi vehicle free of charge.

The best steps forward are to check Motorsafety.org for any other repairs that may be needed on your Audi Q8 and Audi Q7 vehicles. This is not the first recall for this vehicle.

Just last year Audi Q8 vehicles were also recalled due to another problem with suspension and vehicle steering. However, most Audi recalls in the past several years have been unrelated to steering issues.

Kelly Blue Book wrote that most Audis in the recent past have been “recalled for Violations of the EPA Clean Air Act over excessive diesel emissions, while others have been recalled for faulty Takata airbag inflators.”

The solution

Although Audi has issued recalls on previous vehicles they are mostly unrelated to the steering mechanism. If you would like to check the specifics of recalls on your vehicle, use your VIN number and Motorsafety.org will be able to find all recalls relating to your car.

For more information on this or other recalls past or present, visit MotorSafety.org.

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About MotorSafety.org

MotorSafety.org is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to vehicle safety and assisting consumers with the identification and resolution of vehicle manufacturing recalls and defects. Through education, awareness, government relations, repair facility referrals and strategic partnerships, MotorSafety.org hopes to remove every unsafe vehicle from the road, facilitate its proper repair, and ensure its prompt return to the owner once the vehicle has met the required safety and performance standards. For more information about MotorSafety.org, please email support@motorsafety.org.

Marshall EarleyAudi’s May Lose Steering Control
Volkswagen recalls Audi cars with Takata airbags

Volkswagen recalls Audi cars with Takata airbags

February 7, 2020 Joe Glaser

The new Takata airbag recall includes shrapnel

  • Audi 2000-2001 TT Roadster, 2000 TT Coupe, 1999 Audi A8, 1998-2000 Audi A6, and 1999-2000 Audi A4 vehicles are under recall
  • Takata has recalled 1.4 million air bag inflators that may expel shrapnel
  • 107,000 older Audi luxury vehicles are under this recent recall

Laguna Hills, CA – Aug 24, 2022 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has remedied issues with 1,652 vehicles including the 1999-2000 Audi A4 that had problems with Takata airbags. So far, 6,024 of these Audi vehicles have been declared unreachable and 132 have been removed from the recall. Two groups of these Audi vehicles were remedied in 2021, and one group was remedied in 2022 due to this issue with airbags that could over-inflate.

Laguna Hills, CA – Feb 6, 2020 – The recent Takata airbag recall forced Volkswagen to act. Volkswagen is notifying Audi owners that their vehicles may not be as safe as they thought.

In December, Takata recalled 1.4 million airbag inflators. This recall came about because when the airbags inflate following a car accident, they can do so with an excessive amount of force.

This causes a metal canister to explode and metal fragments may fly out, potentially harming a vehicle’s occupants. The risk is a significant consideration for Audi owners due to the exploding factor.

An ongoing problem

According to reports, Takata has been aware of its airbag risk since 2014. Because of this, airbag recalls have been occurring for years. Some vehicles are at a higher exploding risk.

These include Honda and Acura vehicles from 1996 to 2000. In March 2019, the driver of a 2002 Honda Civic died in the hospital following a crash that initiated the rupturing of the airbag and injured the driver.

Deaths and injuries worldwide

It is suspected that Takata inflators have caused about 25 deaths and 300 injuries throughout the world.

In the United States, more than 50 million Takata inflators are in recall status, resulting in the most vehicle recalls in the country’s history. The problem has been so big and impactful that it forced the airbag company into bankruptcy.

When can owners expect notification?

On October 21, 2019, German car manufacturer Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, received reports from suppliers about issues with NADI inflators found during field tests.

Audi’s safety board was notified a few weeks later in November, and talks with the supplier commenced.

After confirming the risk, Audi notified the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the risk and the findings of their investigation so far, and Audi began an analysis of retrieved parts from the German and international markets in early January 2020.

Simultaneously, Takata sent out a defect report detailing the issues with the NADI inflators and the danger they posed. Audi independently verified the risk on January 22, 2020, when their own test results showed that there was indeed a risk of slow or no airbag deployment.

Repair

Volkswagen is recalling all vehicles that have faulty airbags to prevent the owners and occupants of their vehicles from harm. Replacement parts are not yet available.

In recall documents, Volkswagen told NHTSA, “At this point, due to the age of the vehicles, a repair is not available. Audi is working intensively on a remedy with the supplier, but currently, it is unclear when the remedy will be available.” 

When can owners expect notification?

This round of Audi recalls started on March 27, 2020. Those affected by the recall should have been notified or will be soon. Audi owners will receive a second notification when the parts are available. In some cases, both the driver’s airbag and the passenger’s front airbags are at risk.

Volkswagen wasn’t the first to issue a recall

BMW recalled 357,000 older automobiles back in January. This recall includes an estimated 293,000 BMW 3-Series from the year 2000 to 2006 as well as approximately 60,000 3 Series and 1 Series BMWs from 2006 to 2012. Some of the automaker’s SUVs were also equipped with faulty airbags.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Nearly 107,000 cars are part of this Audi recall.  As of March 29, 2021, repairs were still not available.

To check back on the repair status, bookmark MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Note: June 8, 2021

We have noticed a large number of readers are interested in this recall. For that reason, we have edited the article to reflect that the parts are not yet available and to add Volkswagen’s statement pertaining to this fact.

Joe GlaserVolkswagen recalls Audi cars with Takata airbags
Loose Wheel Arch Forces Recall for Certain Audi SUVs

Loose Wheel Arch Forces Recall for Certain Audi SUVs

October 23, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – Oct. 23, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of North America has announced it’s recalling nearly 174,300 Audi SQ5 and Q5 sport utility vehicles due to an improperly installed wheel arch cover that may loosen during the course of driving.

Should it detach, it may result in an accident for the owner or another motorist. All the vehicles have model years between 2018 and 2020.

Operators are encouraged to remove their SUVs from the road and heed this Audi SQ5 and Q5 recall by bringing their vehicles to an authorized VW or Audi dealership. Should it be deemed necessary, the faulty clips securing the rear wheel arch trim will be swapped out for fully operating ones.

The defect

In filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Volkswagen stated that it seeks to recall 174,278 Audi SQ5 and Q5 SUVs from the marketplace over an apparent manufacturing flaw affecting the rear wheel arch cover, which may have not been appropriately affixed to the wheel during the course of assembly. 

The part’s disconnection from the car could present a road hazard that may result in a crash and the potential for injury.

Timeline of events

Typically, when the details of recalls are made publicly available by NHTSA, the agency provides written details that document how the recall came about, what the results were when officials investigated the nature of these issues and when they occurred.

However, these specifics were not published before the notice went to press.

This isn’t the first recall for Audi or VW in 2019. In August, VW informed NHTSA that it was recalling approximately 7,000 Audi E-Tron’s – an all-electric vehicle – worldwide due to fears that its onboard battery may start a fire. This recall was not just in the U.S., but worldwide as well.

Prior to that, VW also recalled an estimated 138,000 Audi vehicles – specifically A3 E-Tron, A3 Cabriolet, S3, and R3 – because of an onboard computer issue that prevented the system from recognizing the installed air bags.

Motorists affected by these recalls should have already received notifications either from VW, NHTSA or both via first-class mail.

The solution

As for the Audi SQ5 and Q5 recall – which is the automaker’s best-selling model – VW believes it has the remedy that will fix the rear wheel arch cover so it stays put.

As such, drivers who received notifications – which are due to be sent out by Nov. 1 – should take their SUVs off the road so that they can bring them to their local VW or Audi dealership.

A mechanic will inspect the automobile to see if a fix is necessary. Should it be, the clips securing the front portion of the rear wheel arch trim will be replaced so the hold is snug.

For more information on the Audi SQ5 and Q5 recall, please visit MotorSafety.org. You can also use our website to see if there are any existing recalls from this automaker or others so you can take the appropriate measures that ensure your car is always safe to drive.

Sean ReyesLoose Wheel Arch Forces Recall for Certain Audi SUVs
Audi Recalls E-Trons Shortly After Model Debut

Audi Recalls E-Trons Shortly After Model Debut

August 30, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – August 22, 2019 – Volkswagen Group says it will recall certain Audi E-Tron electric automobiles after discovering that the sport utility vehicle’s battery may pose a fire hazard.

The problem is related to moisture-rich air which could seep into the structure that holds the battery and cause an adverse reaction. VW says it will reach out to owners to brief them of what they should do to resolve this issue when the time comes. 

The defect

Volkswagen AG, the parent company of Audi, may recall an estimated 7,000 E-Tron automobiles worldwide due to fears that its onboard battery may start a fire, Bloomberg reported.

According to the spokesperson Mark Dahncke, a small-scale voluntary Audi E-Tron recall was initially ordered – affecting 540 vehicles – but the company now believes the problem may impact more luxury models than it initially determined.

Triggering this decision are built-in flaws within the E-Tron’s cell wall. In certain circumstances, moisture – such as condensation – could come into contact with the battery through a wiring harness, which is believed to be the source of the issue, Bloomberg reported.

Approximately 1,644 E-Trons were shipped from the company’s corporate headquarters, roughly a third of which have since been purchased by consumers, Dahncke stated. VW noted affected E-Trons that remain unsold will be fixed so the problem isn’t passed on to buyers.

Timeline of events

The E-Tron SUV is VW’s very first electric vehicle offering, which went on sale in April 2019 in the U.S.

It’s been a tumultuous first few months, however, as at least five instances have been brought to the company’s attention in which battery problems led to inexplicable “check engine” dashboard alerts for motorists.

Because some of these reports emanated from outside the U.S., the Audi E-Tron recall may reach 7,000 globally, a substantial portion of which would likely affect customers in Germany, said Audi spokesperson Udo Ruegheimer.

That said, the company is unaware of any accidents or injuries stemming from this issue.

As for Audi of America, the luxury automaker wants to get out ahead of this issue, indicating as such in a statement to Jalopnik.

“The recall is in response to a potentially faulty seal that may allow moisture to enter the battery compartment which could lead to a short circuit or in extreme cases to a thermal event,” Audi explained.

We are applying an abundance of caution … The recall repair is expected to become available in August 2019.”

Audi and its parent company VW have a reputation to uphold with the E-Tron. The luxury electric SUV recently received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick+ designation, the highest rating possible.

E-Tron scored “good” in several different crash testing classifications, include overlap front, driver-side small overlap front, roof strength, side, passenger-side small overlap front and head restraints. It also received a “superior” score for its automatic emergency braking.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen Group is dealing with other recalls beyond the most recent Audi E-Tron recall.

In partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker pulled nearly 138,900 various Audi brand nameplates from the marketplace in July over defective air bags, including the A3 Cabriolet, S3 Sedan and RS3. Model years ranged from 2016 to 2019. Mailers informing owners were just recently issued.

The solution

Although neither VW nor Audi know the precise date for when the recall begin, E-Tron owners impacted will receive a loaner vehicle and an $800 cash card to cover the cost of gas while their automobiles get serviced, Bloomberg reported.

Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Sean ReyesAudi Recalls E-Trons Shortly After Model Debut
Over 138,000 Audis Recalled Over Air Bag Malfunction

Over 138,000 Audis Recalled Over Air Bag Malfunction

July 16, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – July 16, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of North America Inc. is recalling over 138,000 Audi vehicles of various models and years because of an air bag detection issue.

The flaw may prevent the system from working in the event of a crash, thus increasing the risk of injury for drivers and occupants. All Audi models and body types subject to the safety recall were built between 2015 and 2019, including the A3 Sedan, A3 e-tron, RS3 and S3.

Operators of these automobiles should receive a notice from the German automaker no later than August 18, and are encouraged to take their vehicles back to the dealer so the passenger occupant detection system can be repaired free of charge.

The defect

According to documentation filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an arm of the Department of Transportation, Volkswagen is recalling approximately 138,896 Audi brand motor vehicles. There are several models involved and include the following:

2016 Audi A3 e-tron
2015 – 2016 Audi A3 Cabriolet
2015 – 2019 Audi S3 Sedan
2017 – 2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet
2019 Audi RS3

Each of these models potentially suffer from the same issue: a faulty node that causes the passenger occupation detection system to malfunction, thus preventing the air bag from deploying should motorists experience a collision.

This dramatically raises the likelihood of injury, depending on the severity of the crash in question. Frequently, when safety recalls are announced, it’s not a guarantee that the vehicles involved have the glitch.

However, in this case, NHTSA and Volkswagen believe that 100% of them have the flaw, and are urging operators to make sure they take their cars off the road so the fix can be installed as soon as possible.

Timeline of events

The errant air bags first came to the attention of the German automaker in the first quarter of 2018 after receiving several field reports from suppliers of the passenger occupant detection systems.

This led to an injury that lasted seven months, and required the involvement of NHTSA’s product safety committee, where additional research and testing was performed.

The investigation determined that the detection issue traced back to a flawed electrical contact that was preventing the system from communicating the air bag was in place.

While no injuries were reported to authorities, Volkswagen and NHTSA mutually determined that a voluntary safety recall was the best path forward, which the automaker made official on June 19, and was acknowledged by NHTSA a week later.

Air bags were deemed mandatory by the federal government back in 1984, and required automakers to install them in all models tracing back to April 1989. 

Based on the most recent statistics available from NHTSA, frontal airbags have saved 50,500 lives, with 2,800 traffic fatalities avoided in 2017 alone.

In recent years, many of the automotive safety recalls have been related to various issues involving air bags and their proper deployment.

The solution

Volkswagen, in consultation with NHTSA, will inform registered owners of the models in question by first-class mail starting on August 18.

Recipients of these mailers are encouraged to bring their Audi vehicles back to their nearest dealership so an optimized connecter and cable can be swapped out and replaced with one that is fully functional. As per usual, this repair will come at no expense to the owner.

Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Sean ReyesOver 138,000 Audis Recalled Over Air Bag Malfunction
Audi Recalling E-Trons Due To Fire Risk

Audi Recalling E-Trons Due To Fire Risk

June 18, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – June 18, 2019 – Around 1,600 Audi e-Tron EV vehicles are being recalled after the model’s parent company, Volkswagen Group of America, learned some of the vehicles may have defective seals that could compromise its battery system, should moisture leak inside.

In such a scenario, the battery could pose a fire hazard. Although Audi hasn’t determined when specifically it will inform owners of this issue, it expects to do so before June concludes. The component necessary to resolve the problem will likely arrive in August, which dealers will install for free.

The defect

Volkswagen Group, which owns Audi, says it’s recalling 1,644 2019 Audi e-Trons due to a sealant issue that affects the electric vehicle’s propulsion system, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It turns out that the seal meant to prevent moisture from coming into contact with the high-voltage battery may be damaged, an issue that likely occurred during the assembly process.

If rain, snow, or other types of moisture gets in between the battery charging socket and other components of the voltage system, it raises the risk of an engine fire. However, neither Audi nor its parent company are aware of any such events thus far.

Moisture leaking into the battery would be virtually impossible to detect on its own, but the onboard computer will alert motorists to this problem before it becomes a potential safety issue, with a message on the dashboard panel that warns of an electrical fault or failure.

Audi says that motorists should stop driving immediately if they receive this warning and to contact roadside assistance.

Timeline of events

Mechanical issues often come to light from motorists themselves by reaching out to the automaker or NHTSA, but this one was recognized by Audi during quality control testing.

It found two instances in February 2019, where the charging units failed to function. This led to a follow-up investigation, which determined in mid-March that the problem likely originated from a faulty seal that exposed the charging socket to moisture.

Analysts’ suspicions were confirmed when customers alerted Audi to instances in which they received “check engine” warnings on their display panels above the steering wheel.

Mechanics for Audi reached out to one of the owners who experienced this issue and found that moisture was the likely culprit. This prompted the dispatching of Audi’s Product Safety Committee, which began its inquiry in mid-April and concluded the review June 3.

It confirmed that, although unlikely, a fire could ignite if moisture from the charging socket made its way onto the high-voltage battery. Audi subsequently informed NHTSA of the voluntary recall.

The solution

Audi says it will make e-Tron owners aware of this issue before the end of June, so they can have their vehicles examined. Dealers will diagnose whether the sealant happens to be compromised and install a corrective grommet to prevent moisture from coming into contact with the battery.

As per usual, the fix will be provided free of charge.

Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Sean ReyesAudi Recalling E-Trons Due To Fire Risk
Volkswagen Recalls 2018 Audi A3 And RS3 Vehicles For Rear Seat Head Restraint Issue

Volkswagen Recalls 2018 Audi A3 And RS3 Vehicles For Rear Seat Head Restraint Issue

March 27, 2019 Sean Reyes

Laguna Hills, CA – March 27, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of America is recalling certain 2018 Audi A3 sedans and RS3 vehicles because the rear center headrest latching pins may be missing. As many as 3,326 vehicles may be affected.

The defect

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report on this problem, the latching pins for the center rear seat head restraint may be missing. If a crash were to occur, the restraint could become loose and cause injury to occupants in the vehicle.

Timeline of events

Communications on this issue were first exchanged June 29, 2018 between Volkswagen suppliers. The Audi Product Safety Committee was informed of the problem Aug. 17.

Between September 2018 and January 2019, the automaker engaged in detailed investigation and testing regarding the root cause of the issue, possible process improvements, overall impact, and potentially affected parts/vehicles.

The testing and statistical analysis showed that the defect was present in approximately one out of the affected 20,600 vehicles worldwide. It was determined that after the component supplier had opened an additional production line, a process error occurred for a limited period.

This may have allowed headrests that were not manufactured properly to be erroneously mixed with properly manufactured headrests during the quality-monitoring check.

The Audi Product Safety Committee concluded on February 6 that a defect was present and decided to conduct a safety recall. In addition, the supplier of the components has adjusted its manufacturing processes to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.

The solution

The recall began March 7, 2019. Audi has notified owners, informing them that the center rear head restraint will be inspected. If the pins are missing, the head restraint will be replaced.

This work will be performed for customers free of charge. Audi will not offer a reimbursement plan under this recall.
The NHTSA Campaign Number for this recall is 19V095000.

Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Sean ReyesVolkswagen Recalls 2018 Audi A3 And RS3 Vehicles For Rear Seat Head Restraint Issue
Volkswagen Recalls More Than 100,000 Vehicles Equipped With Defective Takata Air Bags

Volkswagen Recalls More Than 100,000 Vehicles Equipped With Defective Takata Air Bags

February 28, 2019 Sean Reyes , ,

Herndon, VA – February 28, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) is recalling over 100,000 vehicles equipped with Takata airbags that could explode and injure vehicle occupants. The recall includes the following models:

  • 2017 Audi R8
  • 2016-2017 Audi TT
  • 2015-2017 Volkswagen CC
  • 2015-2016 Volkswagen Eos
  • 2015 Volkswagen Passat

This is part of a vast and ongoing scheduled recall of vehicles with Takata air bags. The estimated number of units affected is 119,394.

The defect

According to the NHTSA Safety Report filed January 11, the non-desiccated ammonium nitrate used as a propellant in the air bag inflators in the passenger side airbags of these vehicles poses a risk at some point in the future for all vehicles thus equipped.

If the driver’s frontal air bag deploys, the defective inflator could potentially rupture. The degrading ammonium nitrate present in the propellant wafers may explode under excessive internal pressure in the event of a crash which causes deployment of the driver’s frontal air bag.

In very rare cases, the explosion might mean that metal fragments could pass through the air bag cushion material and go flying into the interior of the vehicle from the passenger front side, potentially striking the vehicle occupants and conceivably resulting in serious injury or death.

This recall is part of a massive worldwide recall of vehicles with Takata airbags that is being conducted in waves starting with the vehicles that are at highest risk of propellant degradation (older vehicles and vehicles in Zones 1, 2, and 3.) 

All test ruptures reported by Takata to date have occurred on inflators returned from regions subject to high absolute humidity.

Timeline of events

The filing was made as required per the NHTSA Coordinated Remedy Order. The date of determination for Audi was January 2, and the date of determination for Volkswagen was January 9, 2019.

Volkswagen will cooperate with NHTSA to prioritize and stagger vehicle repairs by joining NHTSA’s coordinated remedy program. The remedy components for this defect are not ammonium-nitrate based accelerant air bag inflators.

According to Consumer Reports, the investigation began in 2008, after reports of exploding air bags and flying metal shrapnel surfaced.

The cause turned out to be degraded propellant wafers in the air bag inflators manufactured by Takata, which were installed in millions of cars between 2002 and 2015. 

Vehicles made by 19 different automakers have been recalled in what may turn out to be the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.

The solution

The recall is expected to begin in March 2019. Volkswagen will notify owners by mail, and be instructed to take their vehicle to an authorized Audi dealer.

Dealers will replace the driver’s frontal air bag inflator with an alternative part, free of charge. Audi and Volkswagen are excluding reimbursement for costs associated with replacement of air bag inflators. 

The Audi recalled component description is 4S0.880.201, and the Volkswagen’s part numbers are 3C8.880.201 and 561.880.201

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 100,000 vehicles were originally part of this recall. As of April 9, 2021 – the last date information was available – 99,216 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Sean ReyesVolkswagen Recalls More Than 100,000 Vehicles Equipped With Defective Takata Air Bags
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