campaign

NHTSA Recall 21V198000 — Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Official NHTSA recall 21V198000 covers 15 vehicle applications. Review the reported defect, safety consequence, remedy, and VIN-check next step.

Official identifiers and sources shown at claim level Data refreshed 8/28/2026

answer

What this official recall record says

NHTSA campaign 21V198000 was received on 2021-03-22 and is associated with 30 source rows covering 15 listed vehicle applications. The manufacturer shown in the record is Volkswagen Group of America, Inc..

applications
15
campaign number
21V198000
potential units
153,152
manufacturer campaign number
69BY

SOURCES

safety

What the owner should do next

Check the VIN in the official recall lookup. If the campaign applies, contact an authorized dealer about the remedy; recall remedies are normally handled through the manufacturer program. If warning signs or unsafe operation are present, stop driving and arrange safe transport.

do not drive
No
park outside
No
vin check required
Yes
recommended channel
dealer

SOURCES

causes

Defect described in the recall record

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Audi S3 Sedan, A3 Sedan, 2016-2018 A3 Etron, 2017-2020 RS3 Sedan, and 2015-2019 A3 Cabriolet vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction and switch off the passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied.

campaign number
21V198000
official record
NHTSA recall

safety

Safety consequence in the official record

A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

do not drive
No
park outside
No

repair options

Official remedy

Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and update the PODS control module, free of charge. Owners letters were mailed December 23, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BY.

vin applicability required
Yes
dealer confirmation required
Yes

applicability

Vehicle applications listed for this campaign

The normalized NHTSA rows contain 15 applications across 1 makes and 3 model labels. This list describes campaign records, not confirmation that an individual VIN is open or unrepaired.

listed application count
15

components

  • AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY
  • AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

applications

  • AUDI
  • AUDI
  • AUDI
  • AUDI
  • AUDI
  • AUDI
  • AUDI
  • AUDI
  • AUDI
  • AUDI

SOURCES

methodology

Limits of this database record

Campaign applicability and remedy completion are VIN-specific and can change. This page summarizes the official campaign record; it does not inspect the vehicle, determine whether a symptom is caused by the recalled defect, or replace current instructions from NHTSA or the manufacturer.

source rows
30
vin check required
Yes
individual vehicle verified
No