Airbags are one of the most significant safety inventions to ever happen for automobiles. They protect us from much of the impact of an accident and can prevent severe injuries. But what happens when those airbags fail?
What is the problem with the vehicles?
Worldwide, Volvo is recalling nearly 461,000 older vehicles. Around 260,000 of them are in the United States. People who own older Volvo cars may have a legal right to file a defective products claim if they have been injured due to the airbags, which have been determined to be defective and dangerous.
Airbags in older Volvo vehicles have been found to cause severe injury or even death when deflated. The danger stems from pieces of the inflator inside the equipment, which could potentially hit a person.
Which vehicles are affected by the recall?
The recall involves sedan models from 2001 through 2009. The defective products issue is similar to another recall of airbags made by Takata. That recall was issued when 19 people in the U.S. and 28 globally were killed when the airbags exploded.
While the Volvo cars’ inflators are not made of the same substances as the Takata airbags, they can still break down if exposed to high heat and humidity levels. To date, Volvo reported that it knows of only one death stemming from the inflator of one of its vehicle’s airbags rupturing.
What will Volvo do to fix the issue?
Volvo has issued a statement that it would fix the problem with the airbag recall. The company will replace the airbags in all affected vehicles to avoid having people put at risk while driving cars with defective airbags. Customers will begin to be notified of the recall by next month and are urged to have their airbags replaced.
Although Volvo has not made mention of the potential cost of replacing the faulty airbags, it’s fair to believe it will be high. Takata ended up filing for bankruptcy after it recalled its own defective airbags.
Defective products can cause serious injuries to people. If you have a Volvo sedan from 2001 through 2009, you will want to take advantage of getting your airbags replaced for free to prevent potential injury.