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Audi A3, S3, RS3 Passenger Airbag May Deactivate

NHTSA campaign 21V198000 · Reported Mar 22, 2021 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

high How serious is it? About this label

A deactivated passenger airbag increases the risk of injury in a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	21V198000
Reported to NHTSA	Mar 22, 2021
Manufacturer	Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Part affected	AIR Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Vehicles covered	8 model/year combinations, model years 2018–2020
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

These Audi vehicles have a system that senses whether the front passenger seat is occupied and turns the passenger airbag on or off accordingly. This system may malfunction and shut off the passenger airbag even when someone is sitting in that seat. If the airbag is switched off while a passenger is there, it will not be available to help protect that person.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your vehicle is affected.
2. Contact an Audi dealer, or call Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834, to schedule the repair.
3. The sensor mat replacement and control module update will be done free of charge.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 21V198000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (8)

2018 Audi A3
2018 Audi RS3
2018 Audi S3
2019 Audi A3
2019 Audi RS3
2019 Audi S3
2020 Audi A3
2020 Audi S3

Who to contact

Audi — official Audi recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-253-2834

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

Audi Air Bag Recalls Involve Passenger Detection and Deployment Problems · all 14 Audi recalls in this area

Other Audi A3 recalls

Feb 14, 2024Audi, VW Fuel Tank Seal May Cause Leakscritical
Oct 31, 2022Volkswagen and Audi Tire Pressure Monitor Software Issuemedium

Official notice

Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Audi S3 Sedan, A3 Sedan, 2016-2018 A3 Etron, 2017-2020 RS3 Sedan, and 2015-2019 A3 Cabriolet vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction and switch off the passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied.
Safety risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and update the PODS control module, free of charge. Owners letters were mailed December 23, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BY.

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