2025 Volkswagen GTI Seat Belt Retractor Recall (25V638)

Recall 25V638 at a glance

What is wrong with the 2025 Volkswagen GTI in recall 25V638?

The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 GTI, Golf R, Audi A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, S5, S6 Sportback E-Tron, 2026 Q4 Sportback E-Tron, and Q4 E-Tron vehicles. The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.

Is it safe to drive a 2025 GTI with recall 25V638?

NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: In a crash, a damaged torsion bar in a retractor could fail. If this happens, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

NHTSA describes the risk this way: In a crash, a damaged torsion bar in a retractor could fail. If this happens, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

NHTSA has not issued a do-not-drive or park-outside warning for this recall. Still, get the repair done as soon as it is available, and stop driving if you notice symptoms related to the retractor.

Which vehicles are included in recall 25V638?

Recall 25V638 covers 1,042 vehicles: 2025 Audi A5; 2025 Audi A6 Sportback E-Tron; 2026 Audi Q4 E-Tron; 2026 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron; 2025 Audi S5; 2025 Audi S6 Sportback E-Tron; 2025 Volkswagen Golf R; 2025 Volkswagen GTI.

NHTSA lists 1,042 vehicles in this campaign, built June 24, 2025 to August 27, 2025. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.

What is the fix for the GTI seat belt retractor recall?

Yes. Dealers will replace one or both front seat belts, free of charge.

Dealers will replace one or both front seat belts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 30, 2025, and October 31, 2025. Owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834 or Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 69UM; Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 694T. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 26, 2025.

Manufacturer recall number: 694T 69UM.

When was recall 25V638 announced?

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. reported recall 25V638 to NHTSA on September 24, 2025. NHTSA lists the owner letter date as October 30, 2025.

This recall was filed 12 months ago, and vehicles were built over a span of 64 days. If your GTI was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.

How do I check if my GTI is part of recall 25V638?

Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 25V638 is open on your GTI, it will be listed there.

The fastest check is NHTSA’s VIN lookup. Type in the 17 characters from your registration or insurance card. Because only some 2025 GTI vehicles are included, the VIN check is the only reliable way to know. A brand-new recall may take several days to show up.

What should GTI owners do about recall 25V638?

Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 25V638000 applies to your GTI.
2. Book the recall appointment with any authorized Volkswagen dealer. Ask up front whether parts are available and how long the vehicle will be there.
3. Keep a copy of every repair order. Check that each one lists your complaint, the mileage, and the dates in and out.
4. Keep a simple log of any retractor symptoms with dates and mileage. Video of a warning light or the problem happening is strong evidence.
5. Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
6. If the recall repair does not fix it, or the vehicle keeps going back for the same issue, talk to a lemon law attorney.

What are GTI owners reporting to NHTSA?

Owners have filed 22 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 0 of them about the seat belts.

Too few NHTSA complaints about the seat belts have been filed since recall 25V638 was reported (0) to say whether the fix is holding.

NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 22 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 0 of them involve the seat belts. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.

• 2025 Audi S5: 11 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2025 Audi A5: 8 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2025 Audi A6 Sportback E-Tron: 2 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2025 Audi S6 Sportback E-Tron: 1 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2026 Audi Q4 E-Tron: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2026 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2025 Volkswagen Golf R: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts
• 2025 Volkswagen GTI: 0 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts

Can recall 25V638 make my GTI a lemon in California?

Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.

Owners often ask whether this retractor recall means their GTI qualifies as a lemon. Not by itself. Song-Beverly looks at whether a defect covered by the warranty substantially impairs use, value or safety and was not fixed after a reasonable number of repair attempts (Civ. Code 1793.2(d)).

Seat belt defects are safety defects. If the belt, buckle or pretensioner still does not work right after the recall repair, the repeat visit belongs in your records.

The recall repair is available at dealers. If it works, great. If the same symptom comes back, the recall visit is one repair attempt and the next visit is another.

Civil Code 1793.22(b) sets out a presumption that applies in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles: two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or more than 30 total days out of service for repairs. Written notice to the manufacturer is required in some cases. Owners outside that window can still have a claim.

An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.

Frequently asked questions about recall 25V638