Vehicle recall 21V606000 · August 5, 2021
Audi S3, Audi A4 and 25 more models
The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Consequence
- An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
- 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.nhtsa.gov.
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 21V606000
- Reported to NHTSA
- August 5, 2021
- Filed by
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Manufacturer campaign
- 69CR, 69CS
- Owner notification
- August 27, 2021
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 45,496
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Seat belts › Rear/other › Retractor; Seat belts
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Audi A4 (2021): 2021
- Audi A5 (2021): 2021
- Audi A5 Cabriolet (2021): 2021
- Audi A6 (2021): 2021
- Audi A6 allroad (2021): 2021
- Audi A7 (2021): 2021
- Audi A8 (2021): 2021
- Audi e-tron (2021): 2021
- Audi Q3 (2021): 2021
- Audi Q5 (2021): 2021
- Audi Q7 (2021): 2021
- Audi Q8 (2021): 2021
- Audi RS 5 (2021): 2021
- Audi RS 6 Avant (2021): 2021
- Audi RS 7 (2021): 2021
- Audi RS Q8 (2021): 2021
- Audi S3 (2021-2022): 2022, 2021
- Audi S4 (2021): 2021
- Audi S5 (2021): 2021
- Audi S5 Cabriolet (2021): 2021
- Audi S6 (2021): 2021
- Audi S7 (2021): 2021
- Audi S8 (2021): 2021
- Audi SQ5 (2021): 2021
- Audi SQ7 (2021): 2021
- Audi SQ8 (2021): 2021
- Volkswagen ID.4 (2021): 2021
Has your Audi been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Audi dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.