A deadly accident involving an explosive airbag inflator prompted Volvo to launch a major U.S. recall. According to the firm, at least 54,000 vehicles are being recalled.
The Swedish automaker said that the fatal accident involved airbags made by auto parts supplier ZF/TRW. However, they are designed and produced to perform similarly to the defective Takata airbags behind the largest auto recall in U.S. history. While this is the only known accident associated with the ZF/TRW air bags, the firm acted quickly to prevent similar accidents, launching the recall immediately.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that regulators as well as Volvo engineers are currently looking into the incident. Depending on what officials uncover, regulators might take further action, requesting recall extensions.
Until more details are released, consumers who own Volvo S60 and S80 cars from the 2001 through 2003 model years should be aware that their vehicles come with air bag inflators that can expose occupants to serious injury. To avoid deadly accidents, Volvo will replace the driver’s airbags in all recalled vehicles for free.
Defective Airbags Responsible For Dozens Of Deadly Auto Accidents
The NHTSA reported that while the ZF/TRW air bags are designed to perform similarly to the Takata air bags, which are responsible for 26 deadly accidents worldwide, only Takata air bags use ammonium nitrate to inflate.
This Volvo recall reminds us that there are still countless vehicles out there whose defective airbags have yet to be replaced.
Over the past several years, multiple automakers launched recalls worldwide over Takata-made airbags that can explode with too much force, shattering their metal inflators and spraying shrapnel into the vehicle’s cabin. Despite the multiple recalls, over 11.1 million cars have not been repaired, mostly due to a lack of sufficient replacement parts.
Manufacturers should work faster, working with different suppliers to provide enough replacement parts to all recalled vehicles. Until then, other safety measures should be put in place to help drivers prevent deadly accidents.
If you own one of the recalled Volvo cars, contact the automaker directly if you have any questions.
For more on this recall, follow this link.