Auburn Hills, MI – September 3, 2021 – The Volkswagen Group (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has recalled 62,812 vehicles over a concern that the airbags may not properly deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of a serious injury or death. The affected vehicles include:
- 2000 – 2001 Audi TT, including Roadster and Coupe cars
- 2000 – 2002 Audi S4
- 2000 – 2002 Audi A4
The affected part is a Takata Non-Azide Driver Airbag Inflators (NADI) with part numbers 4B0.951.403 and 4B0.951.403 A. This recall is different from the ongoing Takata airbag recall and serves as an expansion of a previous recall for some of the same models issued in February 2020.
Recall summary
The recall stems from a faulty airbag inflator that may slow down the deployment of the driver airbag in the event of a crash. Alternatively, the inflator may cause excessive pressure when inflating the airbag.
The exact cause of the defect is unclear but is thought to stem from a variety of factors, including “manufacturing variations [and] climatic conditions.” There have been no reported cases of delayed inflation of the airbag in the affected models.
As reported, the NADI airbags have a defect that is similar to – but separate from – the larger Takata airbag recall, which involves a different type of inflator. That larger recall has affected millions of vehicles across the country and stems from faulty airbags inflators that can rupture during deployment, hurling metal shrapnel at the car occupants.
Risks
The driver’s airbag plays a vital role in mitigating a serious upper-body injury in the event of a crash. In the event that it does not deploy, there is a higher risk of an injury for the driver.
On the flip side – although Audi does not state this explicitly – if the airbag deploys too forcefully, the inflator may burst and maim or kill the car occupants with its fragments, as reported.
Similar Audi airbag recalls
Over the last couple of years, Volkswagen has issued multiple recalls to replace Takata airbag inflators, including one in January of this year for over 100,000 of Beetle compact and convertible cars.
Some of the Audi models in this recall, including the Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, and A4, were also recalled in February 2020, for the same issue.
The repair
The driver’s side airbag will be replaced with an alternative, newly designed inflator that uses a different propellant, which is a substance that is used to inflate the airbag. Owners were set to be notified on August 20, 2021, and are slated to receive a second notification once the parts become available in mid-October.
Is your vehicle part of the recall?
An airbag that fails to deploy correctly is a serious hazard. To find out if your car is affected by this Audi recall, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.
