Vehicle recall R/2018/212

Volkswagen Passat recall: Head restraint guide retaining spring may be faulty

DVSA recall R/2018/212 names the Volkswagen Passat. It was launched 7 August 2018. It covers vehicles built 5 May 2018 to 18 May 2018.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/2018/212
Launched: 7 August 2018
Issued by: VW
Manufacturer reference: 72H7
Vehicles: 428 across the lines below

What can go wrong

On Passat vehicles of a limited production period the retaining spring of the head restraint guide may be faulty because of a production problem. Because of a faulty retaining spring in an accident the head restraint may not be sufficiently secured in the guide and can come off the backrest. In the event of an accident the head restraint will come off the backrest increasing the risk of injury.

The fix

On the affected vehicles the left head restraint guides on both front seats have to be replaced.

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. Vehicle numbers are DVSA figures for each line.
Model	Built	Vehicles
Volkswagen Passat	5 May 2018 to 18 May 2018	428

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/2018/133 Head restraint may be insecure 11 May 2018, Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Touran
R/2018/352 Rear seat bench welded connection may not be correctly performed 12 December 2018, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen T-Roc, Volkswagen Passat
R/2018/062 Starter motor may malfunction and overheat 7 March 2018, Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat and others
R/2019/019 Driver airbag generator housing could come loose 24 January 2019, Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Bora, Volkswagen Golf and others
R/2019/081 The joint between the sun roof trim and sun roof frame is incorrctly bonded 7 March 2019, Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Arteon
R/2017/294 Rear wheel bearing housings may be incorrectly manufactured and could fail prematurely 17 November 2017, Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Arteon, Volkswagen Golf

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