2012-2013 Audi A6 Airbag Recall: PODS Malfunction
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has issued a recall (NHTSA ID 15V823000) for certain 2012-2013 Audi A6 and A7 vehicles. The Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may malfunction, preventing passenger-side airbags from deploying in a crash. Owners can get a free repair.
S'applique également à
- Audi A6
- 2012
Why This Matters: Increased Injury Risk
An air bag that does not deploy as intended significantly increases the risk of occupant injury during a crash. This defect directly impacts passenger safety by compromising a critical safety system designed to protect occupants.
What's Being Recalled
This recall, identified by NHTSA ID 15V823000 and Audi's internal number 74D1, affects certain 2012-2013 Audi A6 vehicles manufactured from March 28, 2011, to March 25, 2013, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles manufactured from January 25, 2011, to March 19, 2013. The issue specifically involves vehicles equipped with heated and cooled seats.
The core problem lies with the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS). This system is crucial for enabling the front passenger airbags. If the PODS malfunctions, the passenger-side airbags may not deploy during a collision, leaving the occupant unprotected.
How to Check if Your Vehicle is Affected
Owners of 2012-2013 Audi A6 and A7 models should check if their vehicle is included in this recall. The safest way to confirm is to contact an authorized Audi dealer with your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). You can also visit the NHTSA website at www.safercar.gov and enter your VIN to see if your vehicle is subject to the 2013 Audi A6 recall.
Manufacturer's Remedy
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. will notify owners of affected vehicles. Audi dealers will perform the necessary repair by installing a PODS system repair kit. This service will be provided free of charge to vehicle owners.
The recall began on February 5, 2016. If you own an affected vehicle and have not yet received notification or had the repair completed, you should contact Audi customer service.
Important Owner Information
Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834 for more information regarding the 2013 Audi A6 recall. For general safety inquiries, you can also reach the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or visit www.safercar.gov.
Source: NHTSA Recall 15V823000
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Audi A6 PODS recall about?
- The recall (NHTSA ID 15V823000) addresses a malfunction in the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) in certain 2012-2013 Audi A6 and A7 vehicles. This malfunction could prevent the passenger-side airbags from deploying during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Which Audi models are affected by recall 15V823000?
- This recall affects certain 2012-2013 Audi A6 vehicles manufactured from March 28, 2011, to March 25, 2013, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles manufactured from January 25, 2011, to March 19, 2013. Specifically, vehicles equipped with heated and cooled seats are implicated.
- What is the remedy for the PODS malfunction?
- Audi dealers will install a PODS system repair kit to fix the malfunction. This repair will be performed free of charge to the vehicle owners.
- Is there a cost for the recall repair?
- No, the repair for the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) malfunction under recall 15V823000 will be performed free of charge by authorized Audi dealers.
What Audi A6 owners report
Counted from the records in our database across 33 model years.
- 1,665
- Owner complaints
- 55
- Recalls
- 5,316
- Service bulletins
- 64
- Crashes reported
- 71
- Fires reported
- 65
- Injuries reported
The 2013 model year
52 complaints, the 13th most of 33 model years on file. Owners reported 2 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries for this year, which also has 6 recalls on file.
Air Bags, the system this article covers, accounts for 316 of 1,665 complaints (19%), including 18 for 2013.
Complaints by model year
| 1998 | 130 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 217 | |
| 2000 | 148 | |
| 2001 | 113 | |
| 2002 | 88 | |
| 2005 | 91 | |
| 2006 | 67 | |
| 2008 | 71 | |
| 2013 | 52 | |
| 2019 | 114 |
Most-reported systems
- Electrical System — 396
- Air Bags — 316
- Service Brakes — 161
- Fuel System — 150
- Engine — 130
Latest recalls for the 2013 model year
- 18V370000 — Air Bags (Jun 2018)
- 18V229000 — Engine And Engine Cooling (Apr 2018)
- 17V781000 — Fuel System, Gasoline (Dec 2017)
Recent owner reports about air bags
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 audi a6. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the passenger side air bag warning light would remain illuminated.
Read owner complaints →On 3/6/2020, audi norwell, ma diagnosed my 2013 audi a6 with a passenger occupant detection system (pods) malfunction and alerted of a pods system problem by illumination of the airbag monitoring light and by the status of the passenger airbag off indicator…
Complaints are owner reports filed with NHTSA. They are unverified, and counts depend on how many vehicles were sold, so they are not a failure rate.
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2013-2018 Audi A6 Airbag Sensor Recall 18V370000
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