Volkswagen Recalls VW And Audi Automobiles

2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Brake Fluid Leak

Volkswagen will be contacting the owners of certain 2022 Tiguan SUVs because of a loose brake line fitting at the right front wheel which could cause loss of braking power. The problem was first detected in September 2021 when the first incorrectly tighten brake pipe nut was found on a 2022 Tiguan. The number of vehicles potentially affected by this problem is 1,285.

According to the defect report filed with the NHTSA, the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan's included in this recall may have been manufactured with a right front brake pipe nut that was not torqued to the proper manufacturer specifications. These improperly tightened nuts could loosen and allow brake fluid to leak. If this happens the vehicle may require a longer braking distance and could increase the chance of an accident. Because the problem would reduce performance in only one brake circuit, the driver could also experience uneven braking. If the brake fluid leaks to a significant level, the driver should be alerted with an illuminated brake warning lamp.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their Volkswagen dealer to have their Tiguan inspected and the affected nut torqued to the proper value as specified in the repair manual. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 19Q4 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-853.

Audi Air Bag Safety Problem

In July 2019 the Audi Safety Committee issued a recall for the Passenger Occupant Detection (POD) System in certain A4 and A5 vehicles. (NHTSA recall number 19V-547) At that time the failure mechanism had not been fully understood and the problem was investigated and monitored.

By December 2020 Audi continued to receive reports of an increase in repeat repairs after recall campaign 74D9/19V-547 and for vehicles produced after July 2018 (outside of the recall population). The cause appeared to be the PODS connecting cable, though the failure mechanism was still unclear and hard to reproduce. Additional investigation regarding root cause, failure pattern, and influential factors found that the cables used in production until November 2019 are prone to contact errors leading to a deactivation of the PODS system. The PODS system is integrated into the seat heating which is connected to the Body Sense control unit under the front passenger seat via that cable. If the cable has a contact fault, this leads to the PODS system being deactivated and an airbag warning lamp illumination in the instrument cluster.

November 3, 2021: The Audi Product Safety Committee decides a safety recall for the affected vehicles. This new recall affects the same population as recall 74D9 plus additional vehicles produced until November 2019.

Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or the entire seat cover. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-874. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new fix.