DO YOU OWN A VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT OR BEETLE? YOUR VEHICLE MAY BE UNDER A RECALL NOTICE

Per a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safety Recall Report, Volkswagen is recalling 114,478 vehicles in the U.S. due to safety concerns associated with driver’s side airbags.

The vehicles covered under the recall include:

• 2006-2007 Volkswagen Passat Sedan
• 2012-2014 Volkswagen Passat
• 2017 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
• 2017-2019 Volkswagen Beetle
• 2017-2019 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible

Airbags utilize what are known as “airbag inflators,” small containers containing chemical propellants, which cause airbags to rapidly expand in the event of an accident. The airbags in the recalled vehicles use a propellant that has now been found to degrade over time as a result of exposure to high temperatures, high temperature cycling, and absolute humidity. This degradation leads to a risk of the airbags exploding and seriously injuring or even killing vehicle occupants with metal fragments.

The report clarifies that the faulty driver’s side airbags are not at risk of randomly exploding at any time. However, the degradation does pose the risk that the airbag may not inflate properly and instead explode in the event of a vehicle accident.

All the affected vehicles utilize Takata SDI-D driver frontal airbag inflators. This is not the first time Takata airbags have been involved in a recall, in fact tens of millions of vehicles equipped with the company’s airbags are currently under recall.

Owners of these vehicles will receive letters in the mail sometime next month informing them of the recall notice.

If you or someone you know is at risk, please contact us immediately. The attorneys at Finkelstein, Blankinship, Frei-Pearson & Garber, LLP have successfully prosecuted numerous consumer protection actions and we look forward to discussing this matter with you.