NHTSA safety recall National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Audi S6 Sportback E-Tron recall: The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have

Recall published 1+ years ago

The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.

The hazard

In a crash, a damaged torsion bar in a retractor could fail. If this happens, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Recall details

Recall number
25V638000
Published
September 24, 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 S6 Sportback e-tron
Lot / code info
NHTSA campaign number 25V638000

Products covered by this recall

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 GTI, Golf R, Audi A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, S5, S6 Sportback E-Tron, 2026 Q4 Sportback E-Tron, and Q4 E-Tron vehicles. The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.

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 replace one or both front seat belts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 30, 2025, and October 31, 2025. Owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834 or Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 69UM; Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 694T. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 26, 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.

Open the NHTSA — Vehicle safety recalls record National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalls

Related recalls