NHTSA campaign 18V537000 · Volkswagen campaign 87F9
Volkswagen Recall 18V-537: A/C Drain Tube Causing Air Bag Malfunction
NHTSA recall 18V537000 (Volkswagen campaign 87F9) was reported by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. on August 20, 2018, with 9,685 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Volkswagen Atlas for the 2018 model year. Owners were notified on September 14, 2018, 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 18V537000 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.
Volkswagen VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Key facts
- NHTSA campaign
- 18V537000 (also written 18V-537 or 18V537)
- Filed by
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Volkswagen campaign number
- 87F9
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 9,685 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Air Bags — Air Bag/Restraint Control Module
- Owners notified
Repair completion: 93.42% (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 18V537000. 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.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen Atlas
- 2018 · Vehicles built November 17, 2016 – August 18, 2017 (per NHTSA)
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 18V537000.
Defect description
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. During production, the air conditioning system drain tube may have been twisted, causing water to drain into the air bag control module.
Safety consequence
The wet air bag control module may result in an unintentional deployment of the air bags, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Manufacturer remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain tube, and if it is twisted, the drain tube and air bag control module will be replaced, free of charge. Some of the affected vehicles have had their drain tube previously replaced but did not receive a new air bag control module; the airbag control module will be replaced in these vehicles. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 87F9.
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 18V537000
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.