Volkswagen Tiguan third-row belt bolts loose; VW buying vehicles back

NHTSA campaign 20V579000 · Reported 2020-09-23 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

high How serious is it? About this label

Serious: the notice does not say to stop driving the vehicle, but Volkswagen says no one should occupy the third-row seats at all until the vehicle is repurchased.

What's wrong, in plain English

The bolts that anchor the third-row seat belts to the body of the vehicle may not have been tightened correctly. If they are loose, those belts may not hold a person the way they are designed to in a crash, and someone sitting back there could be hurt. Volkswagen is not repairing these vehicles — the company is buying them back from owners. Volkswagen also tells owners that no one should sit in the third row in the meantime.

What you should do

1. Look up your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your vehicle is included.
2. Keep everyone out of the third-row seats starting now.
3. Call Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 (recall 69BA) or your dealer to begin the buyback at no cost to you.

Affected vehicles (1)

2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

Who to contact

Volkswagen — official Volkswagen recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-893-5298

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Which Volkswagen seat belt recalls affect child seats and rear belts? · all 5 Volkswagen recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: SEAT BELTS
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The third row seat belt anchor bolts may not have been properly torqued.
Safety risk: Improperly torqued bolts may prevent the third row seat belt from performing as designed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. Owners are advised: No one should occupy the third row seat due to the safety risk. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen number for this recall is 69BA.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.