Severity
Critical
NHTSA recall · Reported January 30, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Aud…
Audi recalled Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 20… - a critical-severity action.
AUDI 2006-2013: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE was recalled by Audi in January 30, 2018. Reason: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet…. Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator w…. Verify recall #18V082000 with the NHTSA before acting.
The recall
Audi issued this critical-severity NHTSA recall-Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet….
Sourced from official NHTSA enforcement records. Verify recall #18V082000 with the agency before acting. Full product description, hazard, remedy, and related recalls are below.
This NHTSA action (record #18V082000) was formally reported on January 30, 2018. It is classified under Critical severity, with a current status of Active. Audi is listed as the recalling firm. The number of affected units is not disclosed in the agency filing, which is common for drug and food recalls where lot-level tracking supersedes unit counts.
The documented reason for this recall is: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles… The specific hazard cited in the filing is: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injur…. Distribution data in the federal record shows the product reached: United States. Distribution scope directly affects the consumer exposure window and determines whether a recall remains regional or escalates into a nationwide advisory. The remedy documented by the agency is: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswag… - consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.
Within the same product category the archive holds 6 closely related recalls - clustering in a narrow category often points to a systemic quality-control or supplier issue rather than a one-off defect. Always verify the recall number against the official agency record before acting.
Where this recall sits in its category - 7,642 vehicles recalls on record
Of 101,704 recalls in the database, 24,878 are high severity, 72,426 moderate, and 4,400 low. This recall is classified high severity.
Counts reflect market size and reporting activity, not inherent danger, we do not rank products by risk from raw recall volume.
Severity
Critical
Affected scope
Unknown
Related Recalls
6
0 from same agency
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| Severity class | Critical |
| Status | Active |
| Recall number | 18V082000 |
| Date reported | January 30, 2018 |
| Date initiated | January 30, 2018 |
| Recalling firm | Audi |
| Affected scope | Not disclosed |
| Distribution | United States |
| Official source | NHTSA notice → |
Profile values are sourced directly from the official NHTSA enforcement record. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
What to do with this recall
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of cha…
This page summarizes the official NHTSA record for research and awareness; it is not legal, medical, or safety advice. Verify with the issuing agency before acting.
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Every figure on PlainRecalls is rendered directly from official FDA, CPSC and NHTSA recall records, no number is typed in by an editor. This recall: NHTSA, reported January 30, 2018. Severity classes follow each agency's own taxonomy (FDA Class I/II/III; CPSC and NHTSA by hazard type), and related-recall context is computed across the full archive. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.