The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag with an alternate remedy part, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R7. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V382, 17V032 and 18V004 and includes vehicles that may have had their air bag previously replaced under one of those campaigns.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Audi A4 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| Audi A4 Cabriolet | 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Audi A6 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| Audi RS 4 | 2007, 2008 |
| Audi RS4 | 2004 |
| Audi S4 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Audi S6 | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
Components: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audi A4 | 2005 | 219 | 3 |
| Audi A4 | 2006 | 295 | 3 |
| Audi A4 | 2007 | 196 | 3 |
| Audi A4 | 2008 | 175 | 4 |
| Audi A4 Cabriolet | 2007 | 23 | 3 |
| Audi A4 Cabriolet | 2008 | 16 | 3 |
| Audi A4 Cabriolet | 2009 | 22 | 4 |
| Audi A6 | 2005 | 91 | 3 |
| Audi A6 | 2006 | 67 | 4 |
| Audi A6 | 2007 | 53 | 4 |
| Audi A6 | 2008 | 71 | 4 |
| Audi A6 | 2009 | 21 | 4 |
| Audi A6 | 2010 | 17 | 3 |
| Audi A6 | 2011 | 21 | 3 |
| Audi RS 4 | 2007 | 4 | 2 |
| Audi RS 4 | 2008 | 3 | 3 |
| Audi RS4 | 2004 | 0 | 1 |
| Audi S4 | 2005 | 43 | 2 |
| Audi S4 | 2006 | 30 | 2 |
| Audi S4 | 2007 | 13 | 2 |
| Audi S4 | 2008 | 4 | 2 |
| Audi S4 | 2009 | 0 | 2 |
| Audi S6 | 2007 | 1 | 2 |
| Audi S6 | 2008 | 2 | 2 |
| Audi S6 | 2009 | 0 | 3 |
| Audi S6 | 2010 | 1 | 2 |
| Audi S6 | 2011 | 0 | 2 |
Other air bags recalls in 2018
85 of the 912 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2018 concerned the air bags; Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. filed 321 campaigns in all.
| 18V912000 19 Dec 2018 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 18V905000 19 Dec 2018 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 18V887000 13 Dec 2018 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 18V883000 12 Dec 2018 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 18V868000 6 Dec 2018 | General Motors LLC |
| 18V838000 27 Nov 2018 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 18V836000 27 Nov 2018 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. |
| 18V806000 14 Nov 2018 | Ford Motor Company |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2018