Passenger frontal air bag inflator may rupture
Defect Summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 audi a4, and 2005-2011 audi a6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 audi a4, and 2005-2008 audi a6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia, or "zone b." lastly, unless included in "zone a" or "zone b" above, volkswagen is recalling model year 2004 audi a4 vehicles originally sold, or registered, in alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, washington, wisconsin, and wyoming. these vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Safety Consequence
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Corrective Action
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed april 28, 2017. Owners may contact audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834.
Similar Recalls
Other recalls from Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. or involving Air Bags.
FAQ: Recall 16V382000
Your rights, the repair process, and what each field on this page means.
What is recall 16V382000?
NHTSA recall 16V382000 was issued by Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. on June 1, 2016. It addresses: Passenger frontal air bag inflator may rupture. The recall affects approximately 194,453 vehicles, with the defect involving the Air Bags component.
How do I get this recall repaired?
Contact any authorized Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. dealer and reference NHTSA recall ID 16V382000 or the manufacturer campaign number NR (Not Reported). Under federal law, the repair is completely free regardless of vehicle age or owner history.
Is my vehicle included in this recall?
The only way to confirm is to look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA's tool will tell you if VIN-by-VIN this exact recall applies.
How long do I have to get a recall repair done?
There is no expiration on most federal safety recalls. Even if your vehicle is years old and you bought it used, the manufacturer is required to perform the repair at no cost.
Where does the data on this page come from?
All information on this page is sourced directly from the U.S. Department of Transportation public dataset for NHTSA recalls. Last refreshed: 2026-05-22. For the most current official notice, visit nhtsa.gov/recalls.