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Audi passenger airbag may be switched off by faulty cable

NHTSA campaign 21V874000 · Reported 2021-11-10 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

high How serious is it? About this label

A passenger airbag that has been switched off increases the risk of injury in a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

What's wrong, in plain English

Audi is recalling certain 2017-2020 cars because of a fault in the cable that connects the passenger seat heater to the system that detects whether someone is sitting in the front passenger seat. A poor connection can make the software read a fault that is not there and switch off the passenger airbag. Dealers will replace the cable and either the seat heating mat or the whole seat cover. This recall expands an earlier recall, and vehicles already repaired under that one need to return for the new repair.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your vehicle is included, including vehicles already repaired under the earlier recall. 2. Contact an Audi dealer to have the cable and seat parts replaced; Audi customer service is 1-800-253-2834. 3. The repair is free.

Affected vehicles (14)

2018 Audi A4
2018 Audi A5
2018 Audi RS5
2018 Audi S4
2018 Audi S5
2019 Audi A4
2019 Audi A5
2019 Audi RS5
2019 Audi S4
2019 Audi S5
2020 Audi A4
2020 Audi A5

Show all 14 vehicles

2020 Audi S4
2020 Audi S5

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 seat recalls: passenger airbag shutoff, weak backrests, loose frames · all 3 Audi recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: SEATS
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag.
Safety risk: A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.

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