NHTSA campaign 16V045000 · Volkswagen campaign 69M1 Audi - 69L9 VW
Audi and Volkswagen Recall 16V-045: Seat-Mounted Air Bag Inflators May Rupture
NHTSA recall 16V045000 (Volkswagen campaign 69M1 Audi - 69L9 VW) was reported by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. on January 28, 2016, with 734 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Tiguan for the 2015 model year. Owners were notified on July 15, 2016, per NHTSA.
Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files
Is my vehicle included?
This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 16V045000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.
To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Key facts
- NHTSA campaign
- 16V045000 (also written 16V-045 or 16V045)
- Filed by
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Volkswagen campaign number
- 69M1 Audi - 69L9 VW
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 734 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Air Bags — Side/Window
- Owners notified
Repair completion: 79.97% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.
Vehicles listed for this recall
NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 16V045000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.
Audi
Audi Q5
- 2015 · Vehicles built January 13, 2015 – February 3, 2015 (per NHTSA)
Volkswagen
Volkswagen Tiguan
- 2015 · Vehicles built January 15, 2015 – January 21, 2015 (per NHTSA)
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 16V045000.
Defect description
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles manufactured January 15, 2015, to January 21, 2015, and 2015 Audi Q5 vehicles manufactured January 13, 2015, to February 3, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with driver and front seat passenger seat-mounted air bag inflators that may rupture in the event of a crash.
Safety consequence
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of a seat-mounted air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Manufacturer remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began July 7, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69M1 (for Audi) and 69L9 (for VW).
Notes
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.
Sources
Official NHTSA notice for recall 16V045000
Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.