Audi's Seat Belts are Effective, Except When It Comes to Installing a Child Seat | Carscoops

      A flaw in the seat belts discovered during an audit is prompting Audi to recall nearly 28,000 vehicles, resulting in a halt on sales due to delayed repairs.

      Audi is recalling 27,768 cars stemming from a defect in the rear seat belts.

      The concern is that seat belts may not secure properly when used with child seats.

      The issue has been traced back to damage incurred during the production of the belt retractor.

      The recall affects about 28,000 vehicles from the 2025 model year due to safety concerns regarding seat belts that could undermine child safety. The main issue pertains to the interaction of the belts with car seats, rendering the affected vehicles non-compliant with federal safety standards.

      According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall encompasses the A5, S5, A6, A6 Sportback e-tron, S6 Sportback e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Q6 Sportback e-tron, SQ6 e-tron, and SQ6 Sportback e-tron.

      This encompasses a variety of vehicles, all sharing a common issue with their rear seat belts. Regulators note that the “automatic locking retractor may fail to engage when a child seat is secured using the seat belt.”

      The problem was identified by Audi in September during an internal audit. This led to an investigation which revealed that the automatic locking retractor may not sufficiently restrict the amount of seatbelt webbing once locked, when utilized to secure a child seat. This extra movement can jeopardize the car seat’s security and increase the risk of injury.

      Root Cause of the Failure

      The source of the problem has been linked to spring cassettes within the seat belt systems, which may have been compromised during their manufacturing. This is attributed to a misplaced or loose pin that can deform the housing, thereby causing the locking pawl to not engage properly. Fortunately, it is estimated that only 3% of the recalled vehicles are likely affected by this flaw.

      Owner notifications are expected to be sent out in mid-February, and dealers will be responsible for inspecting the rear seat belt retractors. If the seat belt webbing can be extended beyond the permissible length after locking, the assembly will be replaced at no cost.

      Although the solution appears relatively simple, there are complexities as instructions to dealers indicate a stop sale order is in effect. This is common with new vehicles, but the communication clarifies that “replacement parts are not available.”

      Dealers have been instructed to conduct inspections and to withhold any vehicles found to have faulty seat belt assemblies. The inspection itself is straightforward, involving taping a ruler to the rear seat, pulling on the seat belt, and assessing the amount of movement.