The automaker Volkswagen has to recall more than 270,000 cars because of safety problems in airbags. The Federal Motor Transport Authority called the reason “error in the gas generator of the front airbags”. In the past, there had been accidents, some of them serious, in various countries.
Volkswagen has to organize another recall for more than 270,000 cars because of safety risks in airbags. As the group confirmed, it is about a new tranche of models in which technology from the Japanese manufacturer Takata is installed. According to data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), no vehicles are currently affected in Germany – but according to VW, some may have entered the country.
The Flensburg authority called “error in the gas generator of the front airbags” as the reason. This could “result in uncontrolled deployment and the release of metal fragments that could injure the occupants”. In the past, there had already been a number of accidents, some of them serious, in various countries because of this. Previous recalls were significantly larger. In China, for example, Volkswagen had to order almost 4.9 million cars into the workshops in 2017 because of possible defective airbags. The cause is said to be an inferior propellant, which can erroneously trigger the airbag, especially at higher humidity levels in a warm climate.
“In order to rule out serious safety risks, affected airbags are therefore replaced according to availability,” said VW. The current recalls affect cars “that were delivered to hot countries in South America,” said a spokesman. “However, it cannot be ruled out that individual vehicles have also found their way to Germany.” According to the KBA, it is about certain versions of the VW Golf and Passat, the small Fox, the pick-up Saveiro and the Brazilian sedan Voyage from model years 2013 to 2017.
