VW to Recall Nearly 5 Million Vehicles in China Over Defective Takata Airbags

Airbag Recall Takata

VW announced the recall Thursday with its joint ventures FAW and SAIC, who will together recall their vehicles that were fitted with potentially defective Takata airbags, according to Deutsche Welle.

The recall affects vehicles manufactured from 2005 to 2017, according to China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

In addition to cars made by VW’s joint venture partners in China, some imported vehicles from Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda are also being recalled.

To date, there has not been a single reported case of a defective Takata airbag in a Volkswagen vehicle, but many other automakers have been required to recall and repair vehicles that were fitted with the devices.

Takata airbags contain ammonium nitrate and have been found to deploy without warning, if they are hot for too long or if the air is very humid. They were blamed for at least 16 deaths and nearly 200 injuries worldwide, mostly in Honda vehicles in the U.S.

Takata filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the US in June, following the scandal over its many recalls. It was the largest bankruptcy in Japanese history.

Source: The New York Times