Volkswagen bulletin SM 04-2026
What it saysThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Volkswagen filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Aug 11, 2026, received Mar 3, 2026, about the power train — 2 documents under this number. It names 32 model years (2017–2026). A manufacturer communication is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM 04-2026 | Other | Aug 11, 2026 | 11036866 | |
| SM 04-2026 | Other | Feb 13, 2026 | 11029306 |
What the document itself lists
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09U-325-039 | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Oct 5, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Volkswagen’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 32 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,167 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 432 of them name Power Train — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, the 105 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 2,050 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The gas pedal stopped responding during high velocity highway drive. Luckily, I was able to steer the car safely to an emergency stop. I was able to shift gear to N and than to P but the car rocked violently when I tried to switch back to D. The car was towed and a mechanic inspection suggested that it's a transmission fail
2017 Volkswagen Tiguan · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 2, 2021 · ODI 11431439
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that after pressing the engine Start/Stop button to start the vehicle in the driveway, she exited the vehicle and sat in the front passenger's seat. After 4-5 minutes, the vehicle inadvertently rolled backward while the transmission was in park (P).
2024 Volkswagen Atlas · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 21, 2024 · ODI 11620983
Especially when the car is first started in the morning, the car will hesitate when pressing the gas pedal. It has happened when pulling into traffic, causing me to over accelarate to make up for the hesitation. Took to dealer and tech confirmed my observations but noted there are no error codes on the transmission
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 18, 2022 · ODI 11485023
In depth: 2019 Volkswagen Jetta transmission and drivetrain problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the power train
Source: same model, same component group9 other manufacturer communications filed against these Volkswagen models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Volkswagen list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| V4015022033347_8 | Service bulletin | Aug 10, 2026 | Replacement instruction |
| 54A3 | Service bulletin | Aug 3, 2026 | Programming update of the transmission control module -J217- |
| V3925012079347_2 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2026 | Diagnosis of bevel box leaks |
| 37HT | Service campaign | May 22, 2026 | A small number of vehicles were equipped with an incorrect differential race in the transmission. Under this service action, dealers will re… |
| 50B5 | Service bulletin | Mar 24, 2026 | Update Software Programming Transmission Control Module -J217- |
| V3718022033975_14 | Service bulletin | Oct 14, 2025 | Cautions about using aftermarket transmission flush machines and aftermarket transmission fluids. |
| V3416022034406_8 | Service bulletin | Oct 9, 2025 | Diagnosing Manual Transmission Noise |
| VWP-25-16 | Warranty extension | Sep 15, 2025 | For applicable Settlement Class Vehicles, the New Vehicle Limited Warranty will be extended to cover 50% of the repair or replacement of the… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Volkswagen, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Volkswagen SM 04-2026 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SM 04-2026 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Volkswagen warranty extension on file lists the ones Volkswagen has filed.
Which vehicles does SM 04-2026 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 32 model years: 2023 Volkswagen Arteon, 2022 Volkswagen Arteon, 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, 2020 Volkswagen Arteon, 2019 Volkswagen Arteon, 2026 Volkswagen Atlas and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.