2021688
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a passenger is seated. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off".
Additional note: For the 2020 model year A5 model, only the A5 Sportback is affected by this recall.
Safety Risk:
An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to inspect the front passenger seat. Depending on the seat type, the dealer will either replace the seat heating mat including the connecting cable or the entire seat cover.