VW Issues Stop-Sale for ID. Buzz Over A Too-Wide Third-Row Seat
Wider, more spacious seats are generally considered a good thing for minivans, but that’s not the case when they don’t comply with vehicle safety regulations. Volkswagen found that out the hard way with the new ID. Buzz electric van, which it just recalled over an issue with the third-row seats that “fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208.”
Wider, more spacious seats are generally considered a good thing for minivans, but that’s not the case when they don’t comply with vehicle safety regulations. Volkswagen found that out the hard way with the new ID. Buzz electric van, which it just recalled over an issue with the third-row seats that “fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208.”
The issue doesn’t come from the seat’s measurement so much as it does from the third row’s ability to fit passengers. VW classifies the ID. Buzz as a 2-3-2 vehicle, with seating for three in the middle row and two seats in the third. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that three passengers can fit in the third row, but there are only two seatbelts.
Unless you “live free or die” in New Hampshire, every other state requires seatbelts, so the van’s “wayback” seat isn’t an option, even if you can squeeze another person back there. Volkswagen has issued a stop-sale for the vans while it works on a remedy, but the fix won’t be an extra seatbelt.
The automaker said it plans to devise a trim piece for the third-row seat that adjusts the width to only allow two passengers. We don’t know what that will look like, but it will at least be free, so don’t ignore the notification for your ID. Buzz if it comes.
[Images: Volkswagen, © 2025 Chris Chin/Tim Healey/TTAC.com]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
