Volkswagen bulletin VIN4APIN231120
What it saysCustomer states rattle from below the vehicle Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory* Customer states MIL-on, fault P04F0 stored in ECM memory Customer states noise while driving Customer states seat memory… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Volkswagen filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 20, 2023, received Dec 6, 2023, about the seat belts. It names 10 model years (2021–2023). A service bulletin 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 communicationCustomer states rattle from below the vehicle Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory* Customer states MIL-on, fault P04F0 stored in ECM memory Customer states noise while driving Customer states seat memory is inoperative Customer states driver's seat creaking or squeaking while driving or when getting in and out of vehicle Customer states key FOB lock/unlock functions do not work via button press (not KESSY) Customer states seat memory is inoperative Customer states seat belt won't retract
Trouble codes it names: P0442 P04F0
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIN4APIN231120 | Service bulletin | Nov 20, 2023 | 10245618 | PDF, 125 KB |
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.
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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 10 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,855 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 539 of them name Engine — 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 2022 Volkswagen Taos, the 17 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 24,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
After noticing an oil leak and blue smoke in my 23 VW atlas, I took it to my local dealership in Tupelo, MS. I realized there was an open recall for the PCV Valve / Oil separator under code 10LP. However, the bad PCV valve also caused the timing chain cover to go bad. The dealership called me back and said VW would not cover this issue.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jul 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle would intermittently stall upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the "shift to park" warning message would appear on the instrument panel as the contact would restart the vehicle and resume normal driving.
2022 Volkswagen Taos · Engine · filed with NHTSA Apr 19, 2022
I recently purchased my 2022 VW Tiguan new and have a problem with it having a bad hesitation at acceleration. This happens every time at a cold start, as well as at a warm start if it it sat for a few minutes after turning off. It has a terrible lag and bucking, at which point I have to accelerate hard to get it to go forward.
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan · Engine · filed with NHTSA Sep 23, 2022
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 seat belts
Source: same model, same component group7 other manufacturer communications filed against these Volkswagen models under the same component group (seat belts), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| V3725012078469_2 | Service bulletin | Mar 24, 2026 | Instruct customer on proper seat belt usage. |
| V6925012078444_1 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2025 | "Driver Seat Belt Error" appears in Infotainment System Display. DTC U173E00 symptom 8511745 and/or U112300 symptom 8667429 stored in Electr… |
| VIN4APIN20240327 | Service bulletin | Mar 27, 2024 | Customer states rattle from below the vehicle Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory Customer states Mill-on, P0462 and/or P04… |
| VIN4APIN20230824 | Service bulletin | Aug 24, 2023 | Customer states MIL-on, P2421 stored in ECM memory Customer states MIL-on, P2402 stored in ECM memory Customer states rattle from below th… |
| VIN4APIN20230518 | Service bulletin | May 18, 2023 | Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory Customer states MIL-on, fault P2402 stored in ECM memory Customer states MIL-on, fault… |
| VIN4APIN20230517 | Service bulletin | May 17, 2023 | Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory Customer states MIL-on, fault P2402 stored in ECM memory Customer states MIL-on, fault… |
| VIN4APIN20230515 | Service bulletin | May 15, 2023 | Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory Customer states MIL-on, fault P2402 stored in ECM memory Customer states MIL-on, fault… |
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 VIN4APIN231120 a recall?
No. A service bulletin 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 VIN4APIN231120 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 VIN4APIN231120 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 10 model years: 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, 2022 Volkswagen Atlas, 2023 Volkswagen ID.4, 2023 Volkswagen Jetta, 2022 Volkswagen Jetta, 2023 Volkswagen Taos and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.