Volkswagen and Audi bulletin SM 05-2026
What it saysThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Volkswagen and Audi filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Aug 18, 2026, received Mar 3, 2026, about the electrical system — 2 documents under this number. It names 27 model years across Volkswagen and Audi (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.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Volkswagen · Audi.
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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 if it meets the criteria provided.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM 05-2026 | Other | Aug 18, 2026 | 11036899 | not found |
| SM 05-2026 | Other | Feb 13, 2026 | 11029307 |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3WA-959-392-A | — | — | |
| 3WA-959-393-A | — | — | |
| 3WA-959-394-A | — | — | |
| 3WA-959-395-A | — | — | |
| 3WA-959-592-A | — | — | |
| 3WA-959-593-A | — | — | |
| 3WA-959-594-A | — | — | |
| 3WA-959-595-A | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Volkswagen and Audi’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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the body for the 2026 Golf / GTI →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themVolkswagen 7 model years
Audi 20 model years
A 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 27 model years this bulletin names have filed 920 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 293 of them name Electrical System, Structure — 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 2018 Audi Q5, the 19 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 48,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
BSG/alternator faulty. Started displaying “electrical malfunction!” Had to stop immediately before immediate shut down on road. Problem had been known on hybrid models of Audi specially larger models. Recall/TSB have been opened for those vehicles. Vehicle was inspected by dealership. No prior warning other than that immediate red warning
2023 Audi A3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 21, 2026
Electrical system failure due to water in the spare tire & battery well, purchased key fob, 2 auto batteries unable to program fob due to non compatible 1st battery, info display contact dealer, had the water extracted, there were no prior indicators of an upcoming issue until the morning of May 22,2026 when my vehicle wouldn't start so…
2020 Audi Q5 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 21, 2026
Vehicle is a new 2026 Audi Q3 S Line quattro with recurring electronic system failures affecting safety-related functions, beginning on or about April 11, 2026. The vehicle has repeatedly displayed “Driver assistance systems are limited” and related driver-assist warnings with no environmental cause (clear weather, clean windshield)…
2026 Audi Q3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 31, 2026
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group926 other manufacturer communications filed against these Volkswagen and Audi models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Volkswagen list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_2083135_1 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2026 | This bulletin provides information for new Key User pairing for all PPX vehicles with Audi connect. |
| TSB_2078794_3 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when the digital key cannot be adapted. |
| TSB_2083124_1 | Service bulletin | Aug 27, 2026 | This bulletin provides infomriaont when there are various faults, and no DoIO diagnosis. |
| TSB_2082976_2 | Service bulletin | Aug 27, 2026 | This bulletin provides general information about the current tpp issues for Audi connect. |
| TSB_2077331_6 | Service bulletin | Aug 27, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when Digital Key activation cannot be completed with Audi connect. |
| TSB_2083116_1 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when there is a parking aid fault when the combustion engine is running, DTC DA0009 is stored. |
| TSB_2081477_5 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2026 | This bulletin provides in overview of the combined software update. |
| TSB_2069331_8 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2026 | This bulletin provides informaitn when there is a warning messsage; "Instrument cluster: fault. Limited warning messages. Please contact wor… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Volkswagen and Audi, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Volkswagen and Audi SM 05-2026 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 05-2026 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.
Which vehicles does SM 05-2026 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 27 model years across 2 brands (Volkswagen and Audi): 2026 Audi A3, 2025 Audi A3, 2024 Audi A3, 2023 Audi A3, 2022 Audi A3, 2026 Audi Q3 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.