The recall is expected to affect 153,152 Audi A3 cars built between 2015 and 2020, including the Sedan, Etron and Cabriolet models, as well as certain S3 Sedans.
The system which detects whether the passenger seat is occupied might malfunction and switch off the air bag even if a person is sitting there, the filing said.
In November, NHTSA rejected a petition filed by General Motors Co to avoid recalling 5.9 million US vehicles with Takata air bags. GM said the callback covered 7 million vehicles worldwide and would cost $1.2 billion.
NHTSA said in November that GM must recall the 2007-2014 model year trucks and SUVs because the inflators "are at risk of the same type of explosion after long-term exposure to high heat and humidity as other recalled Takata inflators."
The automaker asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to declare the noncompliance issue inconsequential to safety.
Tesla said it corrected the issue in production in September and that more than 75% percent of the affected US vehicles have accepted the firmware update released in September.