Use cautionVehicle recall · NHTSA · Published October 11, 2021
Audi A4 (2020) Seats: Disabled Airbag Risk in Crashes
Audi is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 models due to a faulty seat heater cable that can disable the passenger airbag during crashes. Owners must have the seat repaired free of charge.
Audi is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 vehicles because a faulty seat heater cable can cause the passenger airbag to disable during a crash. This means the airbag won't deploy if needed, increasing injury risk in collisions. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/79201-audi-a4-2020-seats-disabled-airbag-risk-in-crashes.
“Audi A4 (2020) Seats: Disabled Airbag Risk in Crashes.” GovInfoNow, updated August 18, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/79201-audi-a4-2020-seats-disabled-airbag-risk-in-crashes. Based on NHTSA recall #21V874000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=21V874000).
Volkswagen Group of America recalled certain Audi vehicles because a disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Oct. 11, 2021. Dealers will replace affected components free of charge.
How to tell if you have it
Audi A4, 2017-2020
Audi A5, 2018-2020
Audi RS5, 2018-2019
Audi S4, 2018-2020
Audi S5, 2018-2020
What to do
Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
The hazard
The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have a contact fault, causing the software to misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag. A disabled passenger air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Context
GovInfoNow's records show Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has 276 other recalls on record since Oct. 20, 2014. Other recent recalls of similar products include Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 4MATIC (2026) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury in Crashes (March 27, 2026), Mercedes-Benz Metris 2023 Air Bags: Risk of Injury in Crashes (June 2, 2026), and Kia EV9 (2025) Air Bag Recall: Child Front Seat Injury Risk (Aug. 21, 2026).
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your vehicle is a 2017-2020 Audi A4 Sedan, Allroad, or other specified models. The recall covers vehicles with the seat heater cable issue that can disable the passenger airbag.
Brand
Audi
Category
Vehicle
Based on the official NHTSA remedy
What to do — step by step
Contact Audi Customer Service
Call 1-800-253-2834 to schedule a repair for the faulty seat heater cable or airbag system.
Return for Seat Repair
Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover at no cost.
Official remedy
What NHTSA says to do
Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
Owners were mailed letters 3 months after NHTSA received the defect report.
1NHTSA received the defect report
2Owner letters mailed
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Take action
Contact Audi
We’ve drafted a message you can send Audi to request your refund or repair — edit it as you like.
Subject: Recall 21V874000 — Audi A4 (2020) Seats: Disabled Airbag Risk in Crashes
Hello,
I own a Audi A4 (2020) Seats: Disabled Airbag Risk in Crashes that is covered by recall 21V874000 from Audi.
The official recall notice states: Dealers will replace the connecting cable and either the heating mat or entire seat cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 74E3. This recall is an expansion of Recall 19V-547 (74D9). Vehicles previously repaired under 19V-547 will need to return for the new remedy.
I’m writing to arrange the remedy described in the recall (a refund, repair, or replacement as applicable). Could you please tell me the next steps to resolve this?
Thank you.
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on August 18, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.