NHTSA safety recall National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Audi Q6 E-TRON recall: The automatic locking retractor may fail to engage when a child seat

Recall published 10 months ago

The automatic locking retractor may fail to engage when a child seat is installed using the seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety…

The hazard

An improperly secured child seat can increase risk of injury during a crash.

Recall details

Recall number
25V899000
Published
December 19, 2025
Risk level
NHTSA safety recall
Status
Open safety recall
Issued by
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Brand
Audi
Product type
Seat Belts
Distribution
Nationwide
Vehicles
Audi Q6 e-tron · Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron · Audi S6 Sportback e-tron · Audi SQ6 e-tron
Lot / code info
NHTSA campaign number 25V899000

Products covered by this recall

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2025 SQ6 E-Tron, SQ6 Sportback E-Tron, Q6 Sportback E-Tron, A6, A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, Q6 E-Tron, S5, and S6 Sportback E-Tron vehicles. The automatic locking retractor may fail to engage when a child seat is installed using the seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."

Vehicles in this campaign

What to do about this safety recall

Every NHTSA safety recall is repaired free of charge, for as long as you own the vehicle, with no mileage or age limit. Dealers cannot charge you for recall work, and they cannot refuse it because you bought the car elsewhere.

  1. Check your own vehicle with its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A campaign listed here covers a build range, not every car of that model year, and the VIN lookup is what confirms whether yours is included.
  2. Read the risk note above. If the notice says to park the vehicle outdoors or to stop driving it, that instruction exists because the failure can occur with the engine off.
  3. Call any franchised dealer for that brand and give them the campaign number from this page. Ask them to confirm that parts are on hand before you book — the commonest delay on a fresh recall is part supply, not labour.
  4. If the remedy is an over-the-air software update, make sure the vehicle is connected and left on long enough to install it, then confirm in the vehicle menu that the version changed.
  5. Keep the repair order the dealer gives you. It is your proof the campaign was closed out, and it matters at resale.

Costs, reimbursement and your rights

The repair itself is free. What people most often miss is that money already spent can frequently be claimed back.

  • If you paid for the same repair out of pocket before the recall was announced, ask the manufacturer for reimbursement. Carmakers are required to run a reimbursement plan for pre-notification repairs; you will need the original invoice.
  • Towing is normally covered where the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and loaner cars or rental reimbursement are often available on long parts delays. Neither is usually offered unless you ask.
  • A dealer may not charge you a diagnostic, inspection or shop-supplies fee for recall work. If one appears on the estimate, query it before you sign.
  • If a dealer refuses the repair, delays it unreasonably or tries to bill you, complain to the manufacturer’s customer line first, then to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. Those complaints are logged against the campaign.
  • Unrepaired open recalls can affect a sale or trade-in. Closing the campaign out costs nothing and protects the value of the vehicle.

Remedy named in the notice: Dealers will inspect and replace the right and left rear seat belt assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 16, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69D8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.

Company contact: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

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