New Audi SUV Recall Prompted by Shoddy Airbags

Audi is calling back about 1,000 sport utility vehicles across the country over malfunctioning airbags.

The SUVs’ driver-side seat side airbags may not inflate correctly, Audi recently told federal safety regulators. The important safety devices were not properly mounted on seat frames, according to the automaker.

That is bad news for drivers of cars covered by the recall.

“In the event of a crash, the position of the inflated airbag may differ from that intended,” Audi said in a defect notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “As a result the performance of the airbag might not be as designed, increasing the risk of injury.”

The recall covers certain vehicles across the following models: 2023-2024 Audi Q7; 2023-2024 Audi Q8; 2023-2024 Audi RS Q8; 2023-2024 Audi SQ8; and 2024 Audi SQ7.

Audi plans to notify owners of recalled cars via mail by mid-February, the company said in the NHTSA filing. It will ask owners to bring their vehicles to authorized service providers for inspection and repair, the company said.

“The installation of the driver seat side airbag into the seatback frame will be inspected and, if necessary, the side airbag will be reinstalled correctly,” Audi said.

Legal Rights for California Audi Owners

These kinds of recalls are sadly all too routine for Audi and people who drive its cars.

In late 2022, for example, the company called back some 50,000 vehicles that Audi said could lose power unexpectedly and without warning. It also acknowledged at the time that the defect increased the risk of injury for drivers and passengers in recalled cars.

Audi is not alone. The world’s major auto manufacturers recall millions of vehicles around the globe every year, citing a wide range of harmful defects that put everyone on the road at risk. The recalls typically come long after the vehicles have been sold to unsuspecting buyers.

Fortunately, Audi and other car owners in California do not need to wait for a recall to get defective vehicles fixed. You have some valuable rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.

The California lemon law requires automakers to perform a variety of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also requires the companies to buy back or replace cars that they cannot or simply refuse to fix. That includes covering the car’s purchase price, as well as financing fees, rental car costs and other related expenses.

There is no specific number of repair requests or attempts that must happen before the buyback or replacement requirement kicks in. An experienced California lemon law attorney can help you understand your rights and take action.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.