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Campaign 16V955 Posted December 29, 2016 5,947 units

2016-2018 Volkswagen Recall 16V955: Air Bag Fault

RN
Reviewed by the RecallNotify editorial team
Published May 31, 2026

Recall 16V955 covers 5,947 2016-2018 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles for air bag and seat belt pretensioner defects. Repair will be free once available.

Volkswagen is recalling 5,947 2016-2018 E-Golf, Golf, Tiguan, A4 Allroad, Q7, A6, A7, and Q5 vehicles under recall 16V955 because air bags or seat belt pretensioners can fail to work properly in a crash. That failure increases injury risk for occupants, and the dealer repair will be free once Volkswagen makes it available.

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What's wrong?

The affected air bag modules and seat belt pretensioners are crash-protection parts. In the 2016-2018 E-Golf, Golf, Tiguan, A4 Allroad, Q7, A6, A7, and Q5, an air bag module uses an igniter to start the chemical reaction that fills the bag during a crash. A seat belt pretensioner uses a similar fast-acting charge to tighten the belt against the occupant.

The problem is inside the Autoliv igniter. Autoliv reported an improper chemical mixture for the ignition material, so the igniter does not reliably light the propellant. If that happens during a crash, the driver air bag, passenger air bag, head air bag, or seat belt pretensioner does not deploy or activate as designed.

There is no warning sign before failure. The part is hidden inside the air bag or seat belt system, so normal driving does not give the owner a noise, smell, warning light, or feel that confirms the igniter problem.

Who's affected?

Spans 8 models from 2016-2018, with seat belt and air bag components tied to the same recall.

2016 Volkswagen E-Golf seat belt
2016 Volkswagen E-Golf front air bag
2016 Volkswagen E-Golf side air bag
2016 Volkswagen E-Golf front air bag
2017 Audi A4 Allroad seat belt
Units affected5,947
Field incidentsNHTSA has logged no field incidents to date.

A matching year and model does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific vehicle is included.

What's the safety risk?

If the air bags or seat belt pretensioners fail to inflate or work properly during a crash, occupants face an increased risk of injury. Schedule the recall repair when available and keep using seat belts on every trip. Repair will be free at any franchised Volkswagen dealer once available.

What should I do?

  1. Check your VIN to confirm your 2016-2018 Volkswagen E-Golf, A4 Allroad, Q7, Golf, A6, A7, Tiguan, or Q5 is included in this recall.
  2. Watch for Volkswagen owner instructions before scheduling service, because the listed remedy status is under development.
  3. Call Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 with questions and reference recall number 16V955.
  4. Keep the recall notice with your records if Volkswagen has mailed one, and bring it when the dealer repair opens.
  5. Ask the dealer about the air bag and seat belt pretensioner replacement that fixes crash-protection parts that fail to deploy or activate properly.

What happens at the repair

The final dealer repair is not listed as open yet. Once available, a Volkswagen technician will replace the affected driver, passenger, or head air bags, and replace affected seat belt pretensioners on vehicles included in the recall. Parts and labor are covered under the recall. Volkswagen's general reimbursement plan is on file, so documented, qualifying out-of-pocket repairs are handled through that plan. Keep any repair invoices and ask Volkswagen customer service or the dealer service desk how to submit them.

ReimbursementReimbursement available

Timeline

December 29, 2016 NHTSA published the recall
February 28, 2017 Owner notification mailed

Frequently asked questions

What is recall 16V955?

Recall 16V955 covers 5,947 2016-2018 Volkswagen E-Golf, A4 Allroad, Q7, Golf, A6, A7, Tiguan, and Q5 vehicles with air bags or seat belt pretensioners that can fail to work properly in a crash. The listed dealer remedy is replacement of the affected parts for free.

What should I do if my 2016-2018 Volkswagen E-Golf, A4 Allroad, Q7, Golf, A6, A7, Tiguan, or Q5 is on this recall?

Check your VIN to confirm your specific vehicle is included in recall 16V955. If it is, call a franchised Volkswagen dealer and ask for the air bag or seat belt pretensioner recall repair. Reference recall number 16V955 when you schedule service.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to repair the defect at no cost to the owner. For recall 16V955, Volkswagen says dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners free of charge.

What is the safety risk?

The safety risk is reduced crash protection. If the affected air bags do not deploy properly, or the seat belt pretensioners do not activate properly, occupants face an increased risk of injury in a crash. Recall 16V955 ties that risk to these specific air bag and seat belt parts.

What if I bought this vehicle used?

The free recall repair still applies. Recalls follow the VIN, not the first owner. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific vehicle is included in recall 16V955, then call a franchised Volkswagen dealer and give the service desk the recall number.

More information

NHTSA campaign pagenhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/16V955000
Volkswagen customer service1-800-893-5298
NHTSA recall #16V955
NHTSA recall # (full)16V955000

Source documents

This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 31, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →