Volkswagen and Audi Announce Recall of Over 1,000 Vehicles Due to Seatbelt Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has initiated a recall affecting 1,042 vehicles across several Audi and Volkswagen models due to a potential defect in the front seat safety belt retractors. The issue stems from a damaged torsion bar within the seatbelt assembly, which could lead to the webbing unwinding uncontrollably in the event of a crash. This malfunction would significantly diminish the seatbelt’s ability to protect occupants, increasing the risk of injury. The problem has been traced back to a production issue at a sub-supplier that may have caused damage to these critical components.

The defect does not present any visible or audible warnings to drivers, making it undetectable through normal use. The affected vehicles include specific models from 2025 and 2026, with production dates ranging from late June to early August of 2025. Among the recalled models are the 2025 Audi S6 Sportback e-tron, 2025 Volkswagen GTI, 2026 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, 2025 Volkswagen Golf R, 2026 Audi Q4 e-tron, 2025 Audi S5, 2025 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron, and 2025 Audi A5. The total number of potentially involved vehicles is 1,042, representing a small fraction, approximately 0.1%, of the total production.

Volkswagen and Audi were alerted to the potential problem by their supplier, Autoliv, on September 5, 2025. Investigations revealed that a component jamming within a ball feeder mechanism at the sub-supplier’s manufacturing facility may have been the cause. Following a thorough risk assessment and analysis of production and part tracking data, the companies identified the specific batches of vehicles and components that were impacted. On September 17, 2025, the Product Safety Committee confirmed the elevated safety risk, prompting the commencement of this recall. To date, Volkswagen and Audi are not aware of any reported warranty claims, crashes, fires, injuries, or fatalities associated with this defect.

Owners of the affected vehicles are advised not to drive them and to park them outdoors until repairs can be made. Authorized dealers will replace the driver and/or front passenger safety belt assemblies at no cost to the customer. The replacement parts will contain undamaged torsion bars, thereby rectifying the defect. While improvements have been implemented at the supplier level since August 2025 to prevent the delivery of damaged torsion bars, the final potentially affected components were incorporated into production in September 2025. Dealers are scheduled to be notified of the recall on September 26, 2025, with owners to be notified on or before November 21, 2025, as part of a phased recall. Vehicle identification numbers (VINs) will be searchable for recall status beginning September 26, 2025. As the affected vehicles are still within their New Vehicle Limited Warranty period, a reimbursement plan for repair costs will not be offered.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

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