The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·16V078000·Announced 2016-02-10

Volkswagen and Audi Vehicles Recalled for Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling specific 2007-2014 Volkswagen and Audi models because the driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious injury or death.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect could result in 'serious injury or death' due to metal fragments striking occupants, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' or structural vehicle defects involving serious harm potential.

Plain-English summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagons, 2012-2014 Passat sedans and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. The recall involves approximately 659,493 vehicles.

The defect involves the driver's frontal air bag inflator module. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
VOLKSWAGEN, AUDI EOS, CC, Q5, PASSAT
Brand
VOLKSWAGEN
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag / Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
659,493

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (8)

  • EOS
  • CC
  • Q5
  • PASSAT
  • GOLF
  • S5 CABRIOLET
  • A5 CABRIOLET
  • JETTA SPORTWAGEN

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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