Home › Guides › Volkswagen › Seat Belts
Volkswagen Seat Belt Recalls Affect Buckles, Anchors and Child Restraints
These Volkswagen seat belt recalls address restraint failures involving buckles, anchor bolts, webbing, and locking retractors. Tiguan and ID.4 each appear in two notices. Certain 2018 Tiguan LWB vehicles have front belt webbing that may tear in a crash; certain 2020 Tiguan LWB vehicles have third-row anchor bolts that may be improperly torqued. Certain 2021 ID.4 vehicles appear in separate notices concerning missing rear outboard automatic locking functions and rear retractors that may deactivate early. Certain 2018 Atlas vehicles have missing manual guidance about second-row center child restraint size restrictions, allowing buckle damage from bases wider than 12.6 inches. The repeated concern is inadequate restraint during a crash.
Warning signs to watch for
- ID.4 recall dated August 4, 2021, 69CQ: rear outboard belts may prevent a child restraint from securing properly.
- Audi/VW rear belt recall dated August 5, 2021: automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, preventing proper child restraint securing.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
None of these five notices tells owners to stop driving or park outside. The 2020 Tiguan LWB third-row anchor bolt recall, 69BA, does give a specific occupancy restriction: no one should occupy the third-row seat due to the safety risk. Volkswagen's stated remedy for that recall is vehicle repurchase. The Atlas buckle, 2018 Tiguan front webbing, August 4 ID.4 rear belt, and August 5 Audi/VW rear belt notices do not tell owners to stop driving.
What the free repair involves
Free inspection and necessary replacement cover the Atlas center and left outboard buckles, 69BH front belts, 69CQ rear outboard assemblies, and August 5 recall middle-rear assemblies. Atlas owners also receive a manual supplement. For 69BA, Volkswagen will repurchase vehicles; the supplied notice does not describe a dealer repair or specify repurchase costs.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 5 |
Models affected most
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2021 | Audi and VW rear belts may not secure child seats | high |
| Aug 4, 2021 | VW ID.4 Rear Seat Belts May Not Secure Child Seats | high |
| Nov 20, 2020 | VW Tiguan Front Seat Belt Webbing May Tear | high |
| Sep 23, 2020 | Volkswagen Tiguan Third-Row Seat Belt Anchor Bolts Loose | high |
| Jun 7, 2018 | Volkswagen Atlas Second-Row Seat Belt Buckles May Fail | high |
Common questions
What restriction applies to the recalled Tiguan third-row seats?
Recall 69BA advises that no one should occupy the third-row seat in affected 2020 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The anchor bolts may be improperly torqued, compromising restraint performance in a crash. The notice specifies vehicle repurchase.
Why does the Atlas buckle recall mention child seat width?
The 2018 Atlas notice says a child seat base wider than 12.6 inches can damage second-row center and adjacent outboard buckles. Dealers inspect the center and left outboard buckles, replace them if necessary free of charge, and provide a manual supplement.
What distinguishes the two August 2021 ID.4 belt notices?
The August 4 notice concerns rear outboard assemblies missing an automatic locking function and specifies inspecting those assemblies. The August 5 Audi/VW notice concerns retractors deactivating early and specifies inspecting middle-rear assemblies. Both provide necessary replacement free of charge.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.