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ProblemsByVinVOLKSWAGEN / AIRBAGS
101 model-year entries · 2005–2025
Volkswagen airbags problems
2,730 owner complaints filed with NHTSA against Volkswagen vehicles for airbags issues.
135 active recall campaigns. See airbags across all makes →
Complaints
2,730
Recalls
135
Year-models
101
Avg fix
$1,100
263crashes
5fires
221injuries
6fatalities
Editorial perspective by Frank DeSantis · European brand specialist
In the European service world, Volkswagen airbag failures land on our lifts with regularity. 2,730 complaints across 101 year-model entries (2005–2025) is consistent with what we move in parts orders. The pattern repeats across model years, which usually points to a shared component supplier rather than a single bad production batch. 6 fatality reports on file with NHTSA tied to this category on Volkswagen vehicles. That elevates this from nuisance to safety-critical. Across the 633 complaints reporting odometer mileage, the median failure lands at about 65,945 miles. Independent-shop repair on this category runs around $1,100; dealer pricing tends to run thirty to forty percent higher on European brands. Run the VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup before you buy. Takata-era inflators are still being recalled. The dealer fixes them free.
Worst-affected Volkswagen model-years for airbags Top 25 by complaint volume
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's side air bag, free of charge. Owners notification letters were mailed October 26, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69EM.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. An improper air bag deployment may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front-passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69DY and 61C1.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BC.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
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.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q8. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-079.
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.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of a seat-mounted air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began July 7, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69M1 (for Audi) and 69L9 (for VW).
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to allow occupants to sit in the front passenger seat until the remedy is complete. Dealers will repair the affected wiring harness in the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74HE. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 12, 2025.
An improperly secured air bag inflator may not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the air bag as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 10, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagens number for this recall is 69E8.
Common questions
How many Volkswagen airbags complaints are on file with NHTSA?
2,730 complaints across 101 model-year entries from 2005 to 2025. 135 active recall campaigns cover airbags issues across the Volkswagen lineup.
Which Volkswagen model has the most airbags complaints?
The 2013 Volkswagen Passat leads with 311 complaints in this category. Next: 2014 Passat (294) and 2012 Passat (230).
What does it cost to fix Volkswagen airbags problems?
Independent shops average $1,100 for airbags repairs across the Volkswagen lineup. Dealer pricing tends to run twenty to forty percent higher. Specific cost depends on the failure mode and parts availability.
Are there Volkswagen airbags recalls?
Yes — 12 active recall campaigns cover airbags on Volkswagen vehicles. Recall fixes are free regardless of mileage or warranty status. The list below shows current campaigns with their NHTSA numbers.
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public records database.
Editorial commentary written by Frank DeSantis, an independent contributor to ProblemsByVin
and not affiliated with Volkswagen.
Severity ratings derive from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities on the NHTSA complaint and recall record.
Repair cost averages reflect independent-shop pricing and may differ in your area.