NHTSA campaign 16V079000
Audi and Volkswagen Recall 16V-079: Driver's Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture
- Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation
NHTSA recall 16V079000 was reported by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. on February 10, 2016, with 151,767 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Audi A3, Audi A4 Cabriolet and Volkswagen Passat for model years 2005–2013. Owners were notified on March 10, 2017, 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 16V079000 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
- 16V079000 (also written 16V-079 or 16V079)
- Filed by
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 151,767 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module
- Owners notified
Repair completion: 40.4% (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 16V079000. 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.
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 16V079000.
Defect description
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2006 Volkswagen Passat sedans and wagons, 2005-2013 Audi A3, and 2006-2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Safety consequence
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal 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 driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
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 16V079000
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.