Hi all
Thought I'd mention this here, as I know Audi UK records of current ownership of older models that don't see the inside of a main dealer service department means some of you will not be aware of this....
My parents had a 1998 A4 2.4SE saloon up until about 2012/3, when the auto gearbox cried 'enough' and died in an expensive way (it'd previously suffered from mixing with coolant due to the stupid radiator design) and after many years use they decided to scrap it and buy something newer, as even good ones were only worth about a grand at that age.
All paperwork was correctly completed and reported to DVLA, however today my dad's had a letter from Audi UK saying that according to DVLA data the car is still registered to him and requires a recall action for a replacement airbag gas generator for the driver's airbag. Depending on which gov.uk resource you use to search for it, MOT history suggests it's sitting somewhere with no valid MOT since 2012, a tax check says 'no record found' so suggests correctly recorded as scrapped.
Also interesting is that if you search the VCA recall database based on the registration number, which uses the MOT data, it shows no valid MOT but also states there are NO outstanding recalls. There is clearly something not quite right there!
However, if you enter the vehicle details without quoting a specific registration, you get the following:
Quote:
THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG MAY BE DELAYED OR INSUFFICIENTLY POWERFUL DUE TO A POTENTIAL REDUCTION IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE GAS GENERATOR
Recall number
R/2021/234
Recall date
22-09-2021
Recall type
Safety recall
Reason for recall
On vehicles with TAKATA driver airbag and NADI gas generator manufactured within a specific period it is possible that the function of the driver airbag may be restricted due to its age.
How to check if the vehicle is recalled
Contact the local AUDI dealership or manufacturer. You will not need to pay for anything involving the recall.
How the manufacturer will repair
The driver airbag unit must be checked on the vehicles affected and the gas generator must be replaced if necessary
Number of affected vehicles
57169
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Of particular note to this forum is that number of affected models isn't just A4s of the B5 era. If you search for A8s of the same age, the same recall appears. Examples across the Audi range from 1997-2001 appear to be fitted with the suspect gas generators. I don't know if 2002 models changed supplier/spec for airbag modules, or if they aren't of sufficient age to be of concern yet, but worth noting.
Worth checking here:
https://www.check-vehicle-recalls.se...e/vehicle/make