Volkswagen Tiguan may switch off front passenger airbag

NHTSA campaign 25V854000 · Reported 2025-12-10 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

high How serious is it? About this label

Serious for anyone riding up front — the car is still drivable, but per Volkswagen no one should sit in the front passenger seat until the repair is done.

What's wrong, in plain English

Your Tiguan has a system in the front passenger seat that senses whether someone is sitting there. A wiring problem can make that system read the seat as empty, so the front passenger airbag is switched off even when a person is in the seat. If you crash, that airbag would not inflate to protect them. Volkswagen is telling owners to keep the front passenger seat empty until the wiring is repaired.

What you should do

1. Do not let anyone ride in the front passenger seat; move passengers to the back until it is fixed. 2. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (VINs searchable since December 12, 2025) and call your Volkswagen dealer, or customer service at 1-800-893-5298, referencing recall 74HE. 3. The dealer will repair the passenger seat wiring free of charge.

Affected vehicles (1)

2025 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

What is behind the Volkswagen airbag recalls on Atlas and Jetta? · all 16 Volkswagen recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.
Safety risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to allow occupants to sit in the front passenger seat until the remedy is complete. Dealers will repair the affected wiring harness in the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74HE. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 12, 2025.

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