Audi And VW Recall 75,000 Vehicles Due To Potential Engine Failure

Audi and Volkswagen have issued a recall of close to 75,000 SUVs in the United States after reports of potentially damaged engines that could ultimately lead to engine failure. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) noted that two reports from safety committees for Volkswagen and Audi might be attributed to the issue that led to the recall.

“The topic was presented in Volkswagen and Audi Product Safety Committees, and a safety recall was decided based on analysis results that a sudden loss of motive power may occur and an engine oil leak cannot be ruled out,” the company told the NHTSA. Here’s what you need to know.

Why are the Audi and VW cars being recalled?

According to the NHTSA, Audi and VW have recalled several types of SUVs due to “deviations” which could result in engine failure.

"Deviations in the mechanical production process of the connecting rods may have caused an increased particle occurrence in the engine oil circuit, which may lead to extensive wear and play and result in damage to the connecting rod bearings," the defect notice to NHTSA said.

"A connecting rod bearing with continuously rising bearing play leads to excessive engine noise. If the excessive engine noise and engine warning light is ignored and the vehicle continues to be driven, this condition may result in engine failure, potentially causing a loss of motive power while driving, and in rare cases a loss of engine oil which may pose a risk of a vehicle fire," the notice continued.

The company estimates that the issue is only present in approximately 2% of vehicles included in the recall.

“Volkswagen Group of America is aware of 1 fire case on a Volkswagen Atlas vehicle attributable to this issue and 1 additional fire case on a Volkswagen Atlas vehicle with an open root cause still under investigation,” the company said in a notice sent to the NHTSA. “There are no reports of fires or crashes,” for either Volkswagen or Audi.

Which models are included in the Audi and VW recall?

• 2021, 2022, 2023 Audi Q5 and Q5 Sportback
• 2022 and 2023 Volkswagen Atlas
• 2022 and 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

What to do if you have an Audi or VW included in the recall?

If you have one of the impacted vehicles, you can take it to an authorized dealer who can “inspect and, if necessary, replace an affected engine, free of charge.”

Owners may also contact Volkswagen's customer service line at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service line at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 13i4 (VW) and 13i5 (Audi).

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by December 6, 2022.

For more details, visit the NHTSA recall notice.