Volkswagen Recalls More Than 100,000 Vehicles Equipped With Defective Takata Air Bags

Herndon, VA – February 28, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) is recalling over 100,000 vehicles equipped with Takata airbags that could explode and injure vehicle occupants. The recall includes the following models:

  • 2017 Audi R8
  • 2016-2017 Audi TT
  • 2015-2017 Volkswagen CC
  • 2015-2016 Volkswagen Eos
  • 2015 Volkswagen Passat

This is part of a vast and ongoing scheduled recall of vehicles with Takata air bags. The estimated number of units affected is 119,394.

The defect

According to the NHTSA Safety Report filed January 11, the non-desiccated ammonium nitrate used as a propellant in the air bag inflators in the passenger side airbags of these vehicles poses a risk at some point in the future for all vehicles thus equipped.

If the driver’s frontal air bag deploys, the defective inflator could potentially rupture. The degrading ammonium nitrate present in the propellant wafers may explode under excessive internal pressure in the event of a crash which causes deployment of the driver’s frontal air bag.

In very rare cases, the explosion might mean that metal fragments could pass through the air bag cushion material and go flying into the interior of the vehicle from the passenger front side, potentially striking the vehicle occupants and conceivably resulting in serious injury or death.

This recall is part of a massive worldwide recall of vehicles with Takata airbags that is being conducted in waves starting with the vehicles that are at highest risk of propellant degradation (older vehicles and vehicles in Zones 1, 2, and 3.) 

All test ruptures reported by Takata to date have occurred on inflators returned from regions subject to high absolute humidity.

Timeline of events

The filing was made as required per the NHTSA Coordinated Remedy Order. The date of determination for Audi was January 2, and the date of determination for Volkswagen was January 9, 2019.

Volkswagen will cooperate with NHTSA to prioritize and stagger vehicle repairs by joining NHTSA’s coordinated remedy program. The remedy components for this defect are not ammonium-nitrate based accelerant air bag inflators.

According to Consumer Reports, the investigation began in 2008, after reports of exploding air bags and flying metal shrapnel surfaced.

The cause turned out to be degraded propellant wafers in the air bag inflators manufactured by Takata, which were installed in millions of cars between 2002 and 2015. 

Vehicles made by 19 different automakers have been recalled in what may turn out to be the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.

The solution

The recall is expected to begin in March 2019. Volkswagen will notify owners by mail, and be instructed to take their vehicle to an authorized Audi dealer.

Dealers will replace the driver’s frontal air bag inflator with an alternative part, free of charge. Audi and Volkswagen are excluding reimbursement for costs associated with replacement of air bag inflators. 

The Audi recalled component description is 4S0.880.201, and the Volkswagen’s part numbers are 3C8.880.201 and 561.880.201

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 100,000 vehicles were originally part of this recall. As of April 9, 2021 – the last date information was available – 99,216 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Sean ReyesVolkswagen Recalls More Than 100,000 Vehicles Equipped With Defective Takata Air Bags