Volkswagen Recalls New Tiguans Over Airbags That May Fail to Deploy

America’s Best-Selling Volkswagen Faces a Safety Recall

Volkswagen Group of America has issued a safety recall covering 3,138 model-year 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan crossovers sold in the United States due to a defect that could prevent the front passenger airbag from deploying in a crash. The recall was filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under recall number 25V854, with Volkswagen assigning internal campaign number 74HE. According to the filing, 100 percent of the affected vehicles are believed to contain the defect.

The recall applies exclusively to 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan models built between March 24, 2025, and May 12, 2025. Affected vehicles were identified through production records, and Volkswagen notes that Tiguan crossovers built outside this window are not impacted. All suspect vehicles were assembled at Volkswagen de Mexico’s Puebla plant, which also produces the Jetta and Taos and accounted for nearly 160,000 vehicles in the first half of 2025.

Faulty Occupant Detection System Can Disable Passenger Airbag

At the center of the recall is the passenger occupant detection system (PODS), which determines whether the front passenger airbag should deploy in a crash. This is similar to an earlier recall for Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Sport. Volkswagen says a missing or incomplete crimp at a wiring connection point in the system can cause a fault, potentially deactivating the passenger-side frontal airbag even when the seat is occupied.

If the fault occurs, the vehicle may illuminate the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster, signaling that the passenger airbag is unavailable. In a collision, this could cause the airbag to fail to deploy, significantly increasing the risk of injury to a front-seat passenger. Until repairs are completed, Volkswagen advises owners not to allow anyone to sit in the front passenger seat if the warning indicator is present.

Supplier-Related Wiring Issue Triggers Recall Decision

Volkswagen traced the issue to a heater element wiring harness supplied by Volkswagen de Mexico, with affected parts carrying numbers 57N963556C, D, and E. According to the Part 573 filing, a lack of proper crimping in the harness can trigger a sporadic fault code, leading the vehicle to deactivate the passenger airbag as a precaution.

The issue first surfaced in July 2025, when field claims were escalated to Volkswagen’s quality management team. Investigations across multiple fleet vehicles confirmed the crimping defect, prompting the supplier to conduct a root cause analysis. Between August and November 2025, Volkswagen validated those findings, assessed the safety risk, and ultimately presented the issue to its North American and brand-level Product Safety Committees. A formal recall decision was made on December 3, 2025. Volkswagen says it is aware of 58 field claims related to the issue in the U.S.

Free Repair Planned, Owner Notices Set for February 2026

Volkswagen dealers will repair the affected wiring harness at no cost to owners, with updated parts that incorporate an improved crimping process already implemented at the supplier level beginning in April 2025. The automaker will not offer reimbursement, as all affected vehicles remain covered under the new-vehicle limited warranty.

Dealer notifications were scheduled for December 12, 2025, and VINs became searchable the same day. Owner notification letters are planned for February 6, 2026, when customers will be instructed to schedule service. Despite the recall, the Tiguan remains a key model for Volkswagen in the U.S., accounting for 22,050 deliveries in the third quarter of 2025. While the recall affects only a narrow production window, it underscores how even small supplier-side errors can have serious safety implications in modern vehicles.