AUDI A6 2011: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 16V382000

Manufacturers Involved: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Potential Number Of Units Affected: 194453

Report Initiator: ODI ODI Report

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.

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The interim owner letters were sent to owners in July 2016, and will be sent a second letter once parts are available. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 'TTY 1-800-424-9153', or go to www.safercar.gov.