Even a single sensor can cause some serious issues, and Audi's latest recall and stop-sale is proof of that.
Audi has issued a recall for approximately 139,000 examples of the 2012-2018 Audi A6 sedan and A7 hatchback. This includes the S6, S7 and RS7 performance variants. It also affects cars still on the lot, which means the automaker also had to issue a stop-sale on vehicles that haven't yet left the dealership.
This doesn't affect the new 2019 versions of the A6 and A7, neither of which is on sale in the US yet. (2017 model shown.)
AudiThe issue stems from a sensor that's found in both the base and Super Sport seats. The sensor, which determines whether or not a person is in the passenger seat, may malfunction due to stress factors.
If that happens, the car might not know whether or not a person is seated shotgun. This sensor helps determine whether or not to engage the passenger-side airbags in a collision, so a malfunctioning sensor might result in an increased chance of injury to a passenger in a crash. Owners will know if something is amiss thanks to the airbag warning light, which will illuminate if the malfunction occurs.
Audi first discovered the issue in 2016 when it found increased failure claims while monitoring the then-potential issue. It finally decided to file a recall and stop-sale earlier this year, following additional investigation.
According to federal recall documents, Audi introduced a replacement part into production in April. Vehicles under the recall will need to head to the dealership, which will remedy the issue with a repair kit. Both owners and dealers should start receiving notifications about this recall in late July. In the interim, Audi has recommended that owners not use the front passenger seat -- otherwise, the vehicle is still perfectly fine to use.
