Volkswagen recalls over 153,000 Audis due to airbag malfunction

Volkswagen recalls over 153,000 Audis due to airbag malfunction

April 2, 2021 Rebecca Rand ,

Auburn Hills, MI – April 2, 2021 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY), which owns the Audi brand, has recalled 153,152 Audi A3-generation cars whose passenger-side airbags may deactivate while someone is sitting in that seat, increasing that passenger’s risk of injury in a crash. The recall includes the following convertibles, sedans and crossover SUVs:

  • 2015 – 2020 Audi A3 
  • 2016 – 2018 Audi A3 e-tron
  • 2017 – 2020 Audi RS3 
  • 2015 – 2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet
  • 2015 – 2020 Audi S3 

The component in question is the “repair kit for passenger seat occupant detection,” part number 8V0898522.

Recall summary  

This recall addresses an ongoing problem with the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS), which senses when there is a passenger sitting in the front seat. The PODS is supposed to deactivate the passenger airbag when the seat is empty, but in the case of recalled cars, the airbag “turns off” even when the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of an injury to the passenger in a crash.

The deactivation may occur sporadically and “for a limited amount of time.”

Previous recall

A previous recall for this issue was conducted in 2019 but failed to fix the issue as the manufacturer kept receiving reports that some repaired PODS have continued to malfunction. 

Recent customer complaints about this issue highlighted that this was a “known problem” for “many Audi models, not just A3 and S3” and that, in addition to the airbag issue, some of these models also experienced a seat belt malfunction. The seat belt warning kept going off even though there was no one in the seat.

Risks

Data shows that airbags reduce crash fatalities by 11%, but they can only protect people if they actually deploy. Deactivated airbags cannot protect passengers in a crash. 

Safety tips

Vehicle occupants need to pay attention to the airbag indicator light, which will illuminate if the airbag system has been deactivated. Along with the light, the occupants should also hear a chime and see an error message in the instrument panel. If the warnings come on:

  • Have the front passenger sit elsewhere in the car.
  • Do NOT use the front passenger seat going forward.
  • Take the car to the nearest dealership as soon as possible.

The repair

Audi is still investigating the problem and has not determined what the repair will be.  Owners will receive letters in the mail with more information about the recall on May 21.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 153,000 vehicles are included in this Audi recall. To see if your Audi is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Rebecca RandVolkswagen recalls over 153,000 Audis due to airbag malfunction
Volkswagen recalls Audi Q7 whose airbag may injure children

Volkswagen recalls Audi Q7 whose airbag may injure children

February 25, 2021 Rebecca Rand

Auburn Hills, MI – August 24, 2022 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has remedied issues with 25,509 vehicles including the 2021 Audi Q7 that had problems with front passenger airbags. Additionally, 16 of these Audi vehicles have been declared unreachable and 0 has been removed from the recall. Four groups of these Audi vehicles were remedied in 2021, and one group was remedied in 2022 due to these issues with the front passenger airbags.

Auburn Hills, MI – February 25, 2021 – Volkswagen  (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has recalled 26,967 luxury SUVs whose airbags may injure children in the front seat. This VW recall includes 2020 Audi Q7 and 2021 Audi Q7 luxury SUVs.

Recall Summary  

Due to a programming error, the front passenger airbag in these Audi Q7 2021 and 2020 cars may deploy too quickly during a crash and injure a child who is in the front seat.  

The issue was discovered during testing with a dummy meant to mimic the body of a six-year-old. Airbags hit the dummy’s neck with slightly more force than is allowed by federal safety standards. The impact only occurred in “low-speed front crashes.”

Even though the back seat is the safest place for children in the car, it is still legal in many states for children to ride in the front seat, which is why this test was conducted.

Risks

Airbags deploy in a matter of milliseconds with great force to protect drivers and passengers from impact. But this force can, in some cases, injure children especially if they are too close to the airbag. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends the following to prevent airbag injuries:

  1. Children in rear-facing car seats should not be seated in front of an active air bag.
  2. Children under 13 should be seated in the back seat.
  3. Front-seat passengers should sit as far back from the steering wheel or dashboard as possible.
  4. Always wear a seat belt—airbags are designed to work WITH seat belts, not by themselves.

The repair

To address this Audi recall, dealers will update the airbag computers so that the airbags deploy more safely. This fix will be free. Recall notifications with more details about when and how to get the update will be sent out to owners on April 16.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Nearly 30,000 vehicles are included in this Audi Q7 recall. To see if your SUV is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Rebecca RandVolkswagen recalls Audi Q7 whose airbag may injure children
Audi vehicles recalled for battery power supply issue

Audi vehicles recalled for battery power supply issue

January 28, 2021 Ken Boyd ,

Auburn Hills, MI – January 28, 2021 – Volkswagen Group (NASDAQ:VWAGY) has recalled 2,355 Audi vehicles, due to an issue with a battery terminal cover. The 12-volt battery power supply may be compromised in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. The recall includes 2018 Audi RS5 Coupe and 2019 Audi RS5 Coupe vehicles. The affected component is terminal cover; part number 8K0 915 429C.

Recall summary  

Vehicle batteries include covers on both the positive and negative charging terminals.

The recalled vehicles have the wrong cover on one battery terminal, which protects the 12-volt battery power supply.  As a result of the incorrect cover being installed, the power supply “may become compromised” in the event of a rear-end crash. This may make it difficult for first responders and bystanders to open the vehicle doors after a crash and also disable hazard warning lights.

2021 Audi R25 Sportback, 2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportbacks and Audi S5  Sportbacks were recalled in December for faulty wiring which could result in the same issues as this one.

Risks 

For risks related to this issue, please visit this article about another Audi recall.

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will replace the cover for the positive terminal of the 12-volt battery. The repair is free of charge, and Audi expects the recall to begin February 7, 2021. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 2,300 vehicles are included in this Audi RS5 Coupe recall. To perform an Audi recall check, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Ken BoydAudi vehicles recalled for battery power supply issue
Volkswagen recalls Audi Sportbacks for faulty wiring

Volkswagen recalls Audi Sportbacks for faulty wiring

December 21, 2020 Rebecca Rand ,

Auburn Hills, MI – December 21, 2020– Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has recalled 5,426 Audi Sportbacks whose wiring may become damaged in a crash, preventing the doors from being opened from the outside. Hazard lights may also fail, increasing the risk of an injury and death to the occupants of the vehicle.

The recall includes:

  • 2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportbacks
  • 2021 Audi RS5 Sportbacks
  • 2020-2021 Audi S5  Sportbacks

Recall summary  

The recall concerns the wires in the rear of the car that control the rear lights and supply power to parts of the car. Due to a supplier error, these wires were not built with scuff protection and may become damaged in the event of a crash.

Safety concerns

The damage – that could occur during a rear crash at 50 miles per hour – could affect the vehicle’s power supply, making it impossible to turn on the hazard lights or open the car doors from the outside. Both of these problems increase the risk of injury in the case of a crash. Hazard lights serve to warn approaching drivers of a stopped or a slowed car, preventing rear-end crashes.

Inability to open doors from the outside may result in the death or injury of the driver and passengers, especially if they are incapacitated and the car is burning.

The repair

Audi will notify owners of the recall by Jan 22, 2021. As a free fix for this Audi Volkswagen problem, dealers will apply adhesive tape to protect the wires.  This repair is not yet available.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 5,000 vehicles are included in this Volkswagen recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Rebecca RandVolkswagen recalls Audi Sportbacks for faulty wiring
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
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
Volkswagen Recalls a Dozen Audi Vehicles for Improperly Fastened Airbags

Volkswagen Recalls a Dozen Audi Vehicles for Improperly Fastened Airbags

December 10, 2018 Sean Reyes ,

Laguna Hills, CA – December 10, 2018 – Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A5 Sportback and 2017-2018 Audi A4 all-road vehicles due to potential, improperly tightened airbag module mounting screws. The potential number of units affected is 12.

The defect

According to the NHTSA Recall Safety Report, one of the four passenger airbag module mounting screws may not have been torqued to the correct specification during production.

In a crash with passenger airbag deployment, an improperly torqued screw may cause the airbag housing in the instrument cluster to deform.

This can change how the airbag unfolds during deployment and result in the airbag not providing protection as intended, leading to an increased risk of injury to the front passenger seat occupant.

Timeline of events

On September 25, 2018, the Audi Product Safety Committee was informed that road vehicle testing showed abnormalities in passenger airbag mounting screw connection.

Between October and November 2018, the issue was evaluated. This process included detailed testing and investigation regarding root cause, impact, scope and affected vehicles.

The recall condition was determined to be the result of human error during passenger airbag assembly. All affected vehicles can be traced to airbag assembly by one factory employee.

The recall population was determined by reviewing screw data logs and samples tests. On all other (unaffected) vehicles, the screw connection was tightened properly.

On November 19, 2018, the Audi Product Safety Committee made a determination of a safety defect and decided to conduct a safety recall. The relevant tool for airbag mounting has been modified so that this type of error cannot occur in the future.

The solution

Volkswagen will notify owners and dealers in mid-January, and the affected passenger airbag screw connection will be inspected and, if necessary, correctly tightened to the required torque specification.

Also, the screw will be replaced if necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 26, 2019. The NHTSA Campaign Number for this recall is 18V-836.

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

Sean ReyesVolkswagen Recalls a Dozen Audi Vehicles for Improperly Fastened Airbags
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