Chronology

• In May 2024, the topic was first reviewed under Audi’s product safety process due to customer complaints about a yellow warning message regarding the passenger airbag.
• May – November 2024: Investigation was started, including analysis of the crimp process as well as further testing to reproduce the failure pattern. Initial attempts to replicate the malfunction were unsuccessful as all returned parts appeared to be in good condition, possibly due to micro-movements during removal and transportation.
• By mid-August 2024, a parallel analysis of additional field cases was completed, which showed that the limited number of observed faults were intermittent, and at least some of the faults were resolved by handling or using the seat. The root cause analysis suggested that the problem was due to errors in the crimping process.
• Coordination within the brand group took place in September and October 2024. In addition, an ongoing analysis of the fail-safe mechanism was carried out to determine whether airbag deactivation could actually occur (or just the warning message would be displayed). Further assessment of the estimated failure rate, including discussions with the supplier, took place in November 2024.
• November 2024 – March 2025: Continued coordination among the affected Volkswagen Group brands continued through February 2025. The technical differences between certain seat occupancy detection system versions and the related production years were analyzed in comparison to other years under consideration of the number of claims in specific time periods. As a result, a potential clean date was identified to determine the actual potentially affected population, and comparisons were made of the failure mechanisms within the affected Volkswagen Group brands.
• In March 2025, the results of the analysis were completed and prepared for presentation to the Audi Product Safety Committee.
• On 2 April 2025, Audi’s Product Safety Committee decided a safety recall for the affected vehicles.
• As of 9 April 2025, Audi is aware of 101 customer complaints in the US, but is not aware of any injuries or crashes due to this safety defect.

Dealers will replace the seat cushion, free of charge as required by Federal safety regulations. Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 6 June 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi’s number for this recall is 74HC. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or go to nhtsa.gov about NHTSA recall 25V227 or 25V-227.