The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·16V079000·Announced 2016-02-10

Volkswagen Recalls Audi and Passat Vehicles for Airbag Inflator Defect

Volkswagen is recalling 151,767 Audi and Volkswagen vehicles because the driver's airbag inflator may rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious injury.

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 can result in serious injury or death, which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury reports or potential for serious harm.

Plain-English summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling 151,767 model year 2006 Volkswagen Passat sedans and wagons, 2005-2013 Audi A3, and 2006-2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet vehicles. The recall addresses a defect in 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 driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began in March 2017. Volkswagen owners may contact customer service at 1-800-893-5298, and Audi owners may contact 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
AUDI, VOLKSWAGEN A3, A4 CABRIOLET, PASSAT
Brand
AUDI
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Category
Vehicle — Airbag
Hazard
Affected units
151,767

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 (3)

  • A3
  • A4 CABRIOLET
  • PASSAT

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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Same hazard · airbag rupture

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