Safety Recall 87F9 / HVAC Drain Hose/Airbag Control Module – 2018 Volkswagen Atlas

NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V537
Manufacturer Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Components AIR BAGS
Potential Number of Units Affected 9,685

 

A/C Drain Tube Causing Air Bag Malfunction

The wet air bag control module may result in an unintentional deployment of the air bags, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

 

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. During production, the air conditioning system drain tube may have been twisted, causing water to drain into the air bag control module.

 

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain tube, and if it is twisted, the drain tube and air bag control module will be replaced, free of charge. Some of the affected vehicles have had their drain tube previously replaced but did not receive a new air bag control module; the airbag control module will be replaced in these vehicles. The recall is expected to begin October 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 87F9.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

Check if your Volkswagen has a Recall

 

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Safety Recall
Code: 87F9            

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Subject	HVAC Drain Tube/Airbag Control Module
Release Date	08/29/2018
Affected Vehicles	U.S.A. & CANADA: Certain 2018 MY Volkswagen Atlas Check Campaigns/Actions screen in Elsa on the day of repair to verify that a VIN qualifies for repair under this action.  Elsa is the only valid campaign inquiry & verification source.  Campaign status must show “open.” If Elsa shows other open action(s), inform your customer so that the work can also be completed at the same time the vehicle is in the workshop for this campaign.
Problem Description	In certain vehicles, an air conditioning evaporator (HVAC) drain tube may have been twisted during vehicle assembly. If this tube is twisted, it can lead to water draining inside the passenger compartment and also onto the airbag control module. If the airbag control module gets wet, it can malfunction and possibly lead to an unintended airbag deployment. An unintended airbag deployment can cause injuries to vehicle occupants and possibly lead to a crash.
Corrective Action	The HVAC drain tube will be inspected on all affected vehicles. If a twisted tube is found, it as well as the airbag control module will be replaced. A subset of affected vehicles (that our records show have had a twisted drain tube replaced in the past) will have the airbag control module replaced under this recall.
Precautions	A customer may notice wet carpet, a foul odor in the interior of the vehicle or the airbag warning lamp may illuminate. Other warning lights may also illuminate depending on vehicle equipment and conditions. If any of this happens, owners are advised to contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer without delay and arrange to have the vehicle inspected.
Parts Information	Please contact the Parts Specialist via phone (800-767-6552, email VWoAPartsSpecialists@vw.com) or chat/text with the VIN to order.
Code Visibility	On or about 08/29/2018, affected vehicles will be listed on the Inventory Vehicle Open Campaign Action report under My Dealership Reports (found on www.vwhub.com & OMD Web). A list will not be posted for dealers who do not have any affected vehicles. On or about 08/29/2018, this campaign code will show open on affected vehicles in Elsa. On or about 08/29/2018, affected vehicles will be identified with this campaign code in the VIN Lookup tool at www.vw.com and on the NHTSA VIN lookup tool at www.safercar.gov.
Owner  Notification	Owner notification will take place in September, 2018. Owner letter examples are included in this bulletin for your reference.
Additional Information	Please alert everyone in your dealership about this action, including Sales, Service, Parts and Accounting personnel.  Contact Warranty if you have any questions. IMPORTANT REMINDER ON VEHICLES AFFECTED BY SAFETY & COMPLIANCE RECALLS New Vehicles in Dealer Inventory: It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect or noncompliance is remedied. By law, dealers must correct, prior to delivery for sale or lease, any vehicle that fails to comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard or that contains a defect relating to motor vehicle safety. Pre-Owned Vehicles in Dealer Inventory: Dealers should not deliver any pre-owned vehicles in their inventory which are involved in a safety or compliance recall until the defect has been remedied. Dealers must ensure that every affected inventory vehicle has this campaign completed before delivery to consumers. Fill out and affix Campaign Completion Label (CAMP 010 000) after work is complete.   Labels can be ordered at no cost via the Compliance Label Ordering portal at www.vwhub.com.
Claim Entry Instructions After campaign has been completed, enter claim as soon as possible to help prevent work from being duplicated elsewhere. Attach the Elsa screen print showing action open on the day of repair to the repair order.  If customer refused campaign work: U.S. dealers: Submit request via WISE under the Campaigns/Update/Recall Closure option. Canada dealers: Upload the repair order [signed by customer] to Volkswagen WIN/Operations/Campaign Closure.
Service Number	87F9
Damage Code	0099
Parts Vendor Code	WWO
Claim Type	Sold vehicle: 7 10 Unsold vehicle: 7 90
Causal Indicator	Mark labor as causal
Vehicle Wash/Loaner	Do not claim wash/loaner under this action
Vehicles may have more than one criteria. Complete and claim all applicable criteria on one claim.
Criteria I.D.	01
	Inspect Evaporator Drain Tube, tube found ok, no further work necessary. Labor operation: 0183 00 99 25 T.U.   -OR- Inspect and reattach Evaporator Drain Tube. Labor operation: 8791 05 99 25 T.U.   -OR- Inspect Evaporator Drain Tube, twisted drain tube found. Replace tube, replace and program airbag control module. Labor operation: 8791 55 99 65 T.U.   -AND- Labor operation: 6953 25 99 Time stated on diagnostic protocol (Max 70 T.U.)   Quantity Part Number Description 1.00 3QF820127 Evaporator Drain Tube 1.00 3Q0959655BN Airbag Control Module
Criteria I.D.	01 and 02
	Inspect and reattach Evaporator Drain Tube (if necessary) AND replace and program airbag control module. Labor operation: 6953 55 99 65 T.U.   -AND- Labor operation: 6953 25 99 Time stated on diagnostic protocol (Max 70 T.U.)   Quantity Part Number Description 1.00 3Q0959655BN Airbag Control Module   -OR- Inspect Evaporator Drain Tube, twisted drain tube found. Replace tube, replace and program airbag control module. Labor operation: 8791 55 99 65 T.U.   -AND- Labor operation: 6953 25 99 Time stated on diagnostic protocol (Max 70 T.U.)   Quantity Part Number Description 1.00 3QF820127 Evaporator Drain Tube 1.00 3Q0959655BN Airbag Control Module
Criteria I.D.	02
	Replace and Program Airbag Control Module Labor operation: 6953 55 99 65 T.U.   -AND- Labor operation: 6953 25 99 Time stated on diagnostic protocol (Max 70 T.U.)   Quantity Part Number Description 1.00 3Q0959655BN Airbag Control Module

 

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Safety Recall
Code: 87F9

08/29/2018

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCMN-18V537-0942.pdf

 

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VOLKSWAGEN DEALER COMMUNICATION

August 27, 2018

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCMN-18V537-0942.pdf

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

September 6, 2018

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCAK-18V537-2820.pdf

 

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Reprogramming

Overview – Introduction

The Immobilizer is a theft-deterrent device that adds a layer of security to VWGoA vehicles that include the following brands: Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and VW. Certain repairs such as replacing emission parts cannot be performed without resetting the immobilizer code for the vehicle. This is done by a technician using the VAS for PC software to synchronize the immobilizer code embedded in the ignition key with other codes resident on parts such as the Transmission Control Module, Engine Control Module, and Instrument Cluster.

 

Before you can replace an emission part

Whenever you replace an emission-related control module, the immobilizer must be reset using the VAS for PC software. This can only be done if you meet the following requirements:

• You have enrolled into the program (see step 1 - Complete Pass Thru Enrollment Forms)

• You have received an email from VWGoA that contains a Security ID and Password to access the immobilizer application hosted in Germany

• You have received an email from VWGoA that contains a certificate file (e.g. IndepeDeale.30001.300999.pfx)

• You have installed the certificate onto your PC

• You have obtained a J 2534-1 Pass Thru device (see recommended J 2534-1 Pass Thru devices)

• You have performed the steps outlined in VAS for PC Setup

 

Recommended J 2534-1 Pass Thru devices

Pass thru devices are available for purchase from a recommended Manufacturer for registered workshops to perform Immobilizer functions. The Pass Thru devices that have been tested to work with VAS for PC follow:

I+ME Pass-Thru+XS Available from ACTIA Corp. https://www.actiaus.com, https://www.passthruxs.com or (734) 266-2083

DrewTech CarDAQ2534 Available from Drew Technologies, Inc. https://www.drewtech.com or (734) 222-5228

Blue Streak iflash Global Programmer Available from Blue Streak Electronics https://www.bsecorp.com or (905) 669-4812 Email at [email protected]

DG-VSI-2534 Available from Dearborn Group Technology https://www.dgtech.com or (248) 488-2080 Email at [email protected]

Note: Currently, Pass Thru re-programming supports SAE J2534-1 version 4.04 only. Please ensure that you have installed the appropriate driver for your Pass Thru device. For details read the documentation shipped with your device or contact the manufacturer.

Immobilizer-Reprogramming-Instructions

https://erwin.vw.com

https://erwin.audiusa.com

 

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Last update on 2026-06-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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