Volkswagen has announced a recall of nearly 114,500 Beetle and Passat vehicles due to a potential risk with the driver's side airbag inflators. The recall affects model year 2017-2019 Beetle, 2017-2019 Beetle convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat sedan vehicles. The issue stems from propellant degradation caused by exposure to high absolute humidity, temperatures, and temperature cycling.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has warned that the airbag inflators could explode, leading to sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, potentially causing serious injury or death. The affected vehicles are equipped with Takata SCI-D driver frontal airbag inflators.
Volkswagen stated that the recall was done out of an abundance of caution and that the airbag inflators currently do not pose an unreasonable risk to drivers. The automaker will be replacing the driver-side front airbag module in the recalled vehicles at no cost to the customers. The issue has not resulted in any known accidents, injuries, or fatalities.
Owners of the recalled vehicles will receive notification letters in the mail next month. It is important to note that the recalled vehicles are no longer in production, with Volkswagen discontinuing the Beetle in 2019 and the Passat not being available in the U.S. market for a couple of years. However, there is a Passat variant still available in Europe.
Overall, Volkswagen's decision to recall the vehicles and address the potential airbag inflator issue demonstrates a commitment to safety and ensuring the well-being of its customers. The company's proactive approach and willingness to correct the problem should be commended.