Volkswagen and Audi to p​​ay $42 million Takata airbag settlement

Miami, FL – December 19, 2021 – Volkswagen and Audi (OTCMKTS: VWAGY) have agreed to pay out $42 million dollars in a settlement with current and former car owners whose vehicles were built with potentially deadly Takata airbags. 

The settlement includes  some of the following vehicles:

  • 2009 – 2017 Volkswagen CC
  • 2012 – 2019 Volkswagen Beetle
  • 2006 – 2013 Audi A3
  • 2005 – 2008 Audi A4 Avant
  • 2007 – 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet
  • 2005 – 2008 Audi A4 Sedan
  • 2010 – 2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet
  • 2006 – 2011 Audi A6 Avant
  • 2005 – 2011 Audi A6 Sedan
  • 2017 Audi R8 Coupe
  • 2008 Audi RS 4 Cabriolet
  • 2007 – 2008 Audi RS 4 Sedan

Settlement summary  

The $42-million dollar settlement was reached in November and is the result of a 2014 class action lawsuit against Volkswagen and Audi for selling or leasing vehicles built with defective Takata airbags. The lawsuit sought to recover damages for the risks and costs owners and lessees incurred during Audi and Volkswagen airbag recalls. 

The settlement affects current or former owners or lessees of the vehicles that were all subject to the infamous  Takata airbag recall, which has affected about 100 million airbags worldwide.  The current owners must have bought the car by November 10, 2021 while the former owners must have sold or returned their vehicle after February 9, 2016.

All cars must have been bought or leased in the U.S. or a U.S. territory. For a full list of vehicles, please visit this page. To check if your car is subject to a recall, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

The settlement

To receive settlement funds, you will need to fill out a claim form and send it to a settlement administrator. The form, and more instructions, can be found here.

The settlement is still subject to a final approval by the United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida. The hearing to approve it is expected to be held in early March.

The payment

Those who had to pay for transportation, towing, childcare or lost wages during the Volkswagen and Audi airbag recall may be eligible for reimbursement and potentially two payments of up to $250 later on. Those with no expenses are still eligible to receive up to $500.

Risks

Takata airbags contain an inflator that is at risk of exploding when the airbag is deployed. Exploding inflators pose a serious threat to the safety of car occupants, sending sharp shrapnel flying at drivers’ and passengers’ bodies. Reuters reported that as of September this year, Takata airbags had killed 28 people and injured over 400 worldwide. 

Other Takata airbag recall settlements

Audi and Volkswagen are not the first automakers to settle a suit over the defective airbags. The following car companies have settled class action lawsuits with current and former owners:

  • BMW, $131 million
  • Ford, $299.1 million
  • Honda, $605 million
  • Mazda, $75.8 million
  • Nissan, $97.7 million
  • Subaru, $68.2 million
  • Toyota, $278.5 million

Is your vehicle part of a recall?

According to court documents, 35% of recalled Takata inflators in Volkswagen and Audi vehicles still need repairs. To see if your car is one of them, run a VW recall check with MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Rebecca RandVolkswagen and Audi to p​​ay $42 million Takata airbag settlement

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