Vehicle recall R/1997/075

Audi A8 and others recall: Unscheduled deployment of drivers air bag

DVSA recall R/1997/075 names the Audi A8, Audi A4, Audi A6 and Audi 80. It was launched 26 November 1997. It covers vehicles built 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1996.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/1997/075
Launched: 26 November 1997
Issued by: AUDI
Vehicles: 50,523 across the whole recall

What can go wrong

In weather conditions which favour the build up of static electricity the air bag may deploy spontaneously if the driver enters or leaves the vehicle while carrying a high static charge. This can only happen when the car is stationery and not while it is in motion.

The fix

Affected vehicles are being recalled for the installation of an earth cable to the steering wheel to conduct any static charge to earth.

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. DVSA gives one vehicle number for the whole recall: 50,523.
Model	Built
Audi A4	1 January 1995 to 31 December 1996
Audi A6	1 January 1995 to 31 December 1996
Audi A8	1 January 1995 to 31 December 1996
Audi 80	1 January 1995 to 31 December 1996

Is a specific car affected? A recall lists models and build dates, not individual vehicles, so these pages cannot tell you whether one car is included. Enter the registration on the DVSA vehicle recall checker on GOV.UK, or give the vehicle identification number (VIN) to the manufacturer or one of its dealers. Buying used? Ask the seller for proof that any recall work was done.

Other recalls for these models

R/1997/049 Front seat belt height adjuster 28 June 1997, Audi A6, Audi A4, Audi A3
R/1998/106 Possible insecurity of brake pedal 14 January 1999, Audi A4
R/1996/049 Loss of tyre pressure 1 July 1996, Audi A8
R/1999/072 Potential premature wear of steering ball joints 1 November 1999, Audi A8, Audi A6, Audi A4
R/2002/112 Brake pedal bracket may crack 1 August 2002, Audi A6
R/2002/143 Airbag may not deploy 26 October 2002, Audi A3, Audi TT, Audi A6 and others

Found one you might buy?

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Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA vehicle recall records (RecallsFile.csv), recalls launched 1992 to 2026. Recall data updated 22 September 2026.

Recall wording is DVSA's, with capitals and punctuation tidied and American spellings such as tire, center and windshield given in British English. We list a recall when its make and model match a car or van family with at least 1,000 DVSA MOT tests from 2022 to 2025, and when the maker of the vehicle issued it.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. Methodology · Data sources