Volkswagen of America is recalling 5,678 model year 2025 ID. Buzz electric vans due to a non-compliant third-row bench seat that may mislead passengers into seating three occupants despite having only two seat belts, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.
The recall stems from a violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, which governs occupant crash protection.
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According to NHTSA, the third-row seat is physically wide enough to accommodate three passengers but is only designed and equipped to seat two, creating a potential safety risk in the event of a crash.
Volkswagen plans to resolve the issue by having dealers install fixed, unpadded trim components that will reduce the usable width of the bench and prevent unintended use by a third passenger. Repairs will be carried out at no cost to vehicle owners.
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Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed beginning June 20, 2025. The automaker said it has not received any field claims or reports of injuries related to the seating configuration.