Volkswagen of America,inc: Air Bags › Frontal
Volkswagen of America,inc reported this defect to federal regulators on Oct 8, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 39,300. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DISCHARGE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY UNDER LOW HUMIDITY CONDITIONS CAN ACTIVATE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WHEN THE DRIVER ENTERS OR EXITS THE VEHICLE AND FORMS AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BY TOUCHING CERTAIN AREAS OF THE STEERING WHEEL.
The risk
ACTIVATION OF THE AIR BAG UNDER THESE CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A GROUND WIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG.
15 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Audi 90 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Audi A4 | 98 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
| 1997 Audi A6 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1997 Audi A8 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997 Audi Cabriolet | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Audi 90 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Audi A4 | 89 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| 1996 Audi A6 | 51 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1996 Audi A8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Audi Cabriolet | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 Audi 90 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 Audi A4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 Audi A6 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 Audi A8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 Audi Cabriolet | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 97V175000.
Full record for the 1997 Audi 90 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →