Volkswagen bulletin VOS1603
Volkswagen filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 20, 2016, received Jun 13, 2022, about the electrical system. It names 61 model years (2016–2023). 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 communicationRelease Notes Supplement.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VOS1603 | Service bulletin | Jan 20, 2016 | 10213875 | not found |
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 themand 17 more on this site: 2020 Volkswagen Passat, 2019 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Volkswagen Passat, 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2016 Volkswagen Passat, 2023 Volkswagen Taos, 2022 Volkswagen Taos, 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan, 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan, 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan, 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan, 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan, 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, 2017 Volkswagen Touareg, 2016 Volkswagen Touareg.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2017 Volkswagen EOS; 2023 Volkswagen Passat; 2021 Volkswagen Taos; 2021 Volkswagen Tarek.
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 57 model years this bulletin names have filed 7,600 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,901 of them name Electrical System — 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 Volkswagen Atlas, the 66 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 19,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I took possession of this vehicle on 7/08/2022 and have had multiple problems with the infotainment ctr, cruise control, homelink, wireless charging pad, etc. However the most serious problem occurred on 08/27 when while sitting at a stop light on a downward hill ( I was the front car with a line of vehicles behind me ) while attempting…
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 16, 2022 · ODI 11484817
Carnet in-car system doesn't work. Brought home the new 2019 Tiguan with only 5 miles on it and when I pushed the carnet buttons....nothing. Contacted the dealer and the service department took two days to try to fix it. I was told there was no fix. It's a software problem and VW must come up with a fix. Over 2 months later, still fix.
2019 Volkswagen Tiguan · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 7, 2019 · ODI 11242396
The vehicle simply shuts off with no warning or reason. I should NOT have to explain to anybody how this is a safety hazard to the driver and others around the vehicle. It shuts down while in a car wash and the vehicle is in Neutral. Thus, I have to brake, place the trans in Park then manually restart. The same happens at Stop Lights.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 18, 2024 · ODI 11572589
In depth: 2022 Volkswagen Atlas electrical problems → · 2021 Volkswagen Atlas electrical problems → · 2019 Volkswagen Atlas electrical problems → · 2018 Volkswagen Atlas electrical 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group164 other manufacturer communications filed against these Volkswagen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| V9324012073298_4 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2026 | range reduction / battery cell replacement |
| V9326032083367_1 | Service bulletin | Sep 23, 2026 | Steps to take if DTC P0AA500 (DA:008C) |
| TT 57 23 01 | Other | Sep 10, 2026 | DTCs B1479F0 OR B147AF0 exterior door handles are inoperative Repair |
| 5.6 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | Battery charger control unit software update |
| SM 05-2026 | Other | Aug 18, 2026 | This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided. |
| V9326052081829_2 | Service bulletin | Aug 17, 2026 | Diagnosis of low insulation resistance in the High-Voltage (HV) wiring. |
| VOS-26-47 | Service bulletin | Aug 14, 2026 | This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A… |
| V2724012073810_7 | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | Battery Checking Procedure before replacement |
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 VOS1603 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 VOS1603 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 VOS1603 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 61 model years: 2023 Volkswagen Arteon, 2022 Volkswagen Arteon, 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, 2020 Volkswagen Arteon, 2019 Volkswagen Arteon, 2023 Volkswagen Atlas and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.