All About the Volvo Airbag Recall

Although technology and innovation have taken the automobile industry to new heights, manufacturers are still facing problems in meeting quality standards. There are dozens of popular automakers out there, and nearly all of them have had to deal with a faulty component or part that causes damage to the passenger in some way or the other.

Similarly, Volvo is one of the top automakers in the world, but it has also faced a nightmare in the form of defective driver-side airbags, which were experienced in hundreds of thousands of models. Moreover, passengers and car owners have also been burdened with the fear of the airbag not opening during an accident.

When Did It Start?

In June 2019, the first instance of a faulty airbag was reported when a driver was killed due to the airbag exploding and rupturing on impact. Therefore, the airbag couldn’t save the driver from the impact, and Volvo found out about this through an attorney letter received from their department. This led Volvo to investigate what caused the airbag to rupture like this. Moreover, it also spawned an investigation as to which models of their vehicles were at risk.

When Did Volvo Take Action?

Therefore, Volvo started taking action by recalling nearly 200,000 of its vehicles at first, which helped them identify the models that were at risk of the airbag exploding. So far, the amount of vehicles that Volvo recalled worldwide has exceeded half a million vehicles.

Before this incident took place, several cars that had airbags manufactured by the Takata Corporation were also recalled, and the airbags were replaced. It affected more than 30 million vehicles, and an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also underway currently.

Airbags made by Takata have been responsible for 19 deaths in the US and 28 worldwide. Plus, they have also caused more than 400 injuries in the United States alone.

Which Models of Volvo are Affected by the Airbag Issue?

Upon investigation by Volvo into the airbags debacle, it was discovered that the problem occurred in the Volvo V70 and Volvo XC70 that were manufactured between February 2000 and May 2007. Therefore, these vehicles were immediately recalled in a larger number, and more units will also follow suit.

Apart from these, the Volvo S60 manufactured between 2001 and 2009 and the Volvo S80 manufactured between 2001 and 2006 were also identified as having a risk of the driver-side airbag exploding and injuring the driver.

What Causes the Airbags to Explode?

Before we move on, it is important to note that even though airbags made by Takata Corporation are under scrutiny for endangering people’s lives, they aren’t used in the aforementioned Volvo models. The manufacturer and supplier for Volvo’s airbags is a company by the name of ZF/TRW.

It is said that the driver-side airbag inflators in the specific models explode when they are deployed, i.e., when the car collides with another object with a high impact. Although the airbag is inflated to protect the driver from crashing headfirst into the windshield or banging their head against the steering wheel, the exploding airbag leaves no barrier between the driver and the glass and metal fragments that occur due to the accident.

The main cause for the airbags to explode upon deployment is attributed to the FG2 twin inflators and the 5AT 148N propellant used inside them, which is supposed to inflate the bags within mere seconds so that the driver’s life can be saved from serious injury or even death. However, the propellant starts to degrade if it isn’t used for a long time, and also due to exposure to humidity, high temperatures, and other factors.

As a result, the propellant decays completely and turns into dust, which increases the pressure in the combustion chamber. This pressure instantly causes the metal inflators to explode and rupture the airbag’s fabric, sending metal flying towards the driver. Therefore, the twin inflators inside these Volvo cars fail to keep the airbag inflated and cause it to rupture suddenly, thus putting the life of the driver at risk.

While the inflator is made by a German company called ZF Friedrichshafen, Michigan-based Autoliv manufactures the assembly for these airbags. Volvo deduced that the problem with the airbag propellants grows over time and causes the airbag to become virtually useless in the event of an accident or collision.

What’s Next?

Currently, Volvo has issued a massive recall of more than 500,000 of its vehicles all over the world and has pledged to replace their airbags with much safer options for no added cost. Although several owners have had their cars recalled, others are awaiting their recall notices, which are said to be sent out by 29th November. Meanwhile, Volvo has kept its helpline open for people who require any type of assistance or have any queries or complaints regarding the affected Volvo models.

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