Recall Wrap: Volkswagen recalls almost 18,000 Takata vehicles

Volkswagen Group Australia has issued an official safety recall to start replacing faulty Takata airbags in Polo and Transporter vehicles, as part of a staged recall that must be completed by December 2020.

Just over 4250 Volkswagen Polo vehicles sold between 2007 and 2009 are affected, while a slightly more than 13,700 VW Transporter vans sold between 2008 and 2015 require inspection.

The total amount of vehicles affected in this Tataka airbag recall is just under 18,000, and the company has confirmed that slightly more than 102,000 VW vehicles in Australia are affected by the global recall involving more than 100 million Takate-equipped vehicles worldwide.

Affected vehicles require new airbags to replace faulty units whose propellant can degrade causing them to malfunction.

The Takata airbag inflators deteriorate over several years, especially in higher temperatures and humidity, and according to the recall if a “defective airbag inflator ruptures, metal fragments may propel out through the airbag cushion towards the vehicle occupants causing serious injury or fatality”.

However, the most dangerous Takata airbags, the so-called ‘alpha’ versions, do not affect any Volkswagens.

Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by Volkswagen and owners who may be unsure if their vehicle is affected by the mandatory recall can check out the VW Takata airbag recall website or call the Volkswagen Recall Campaign Hotline (1800 504 076) between 8.30am and 8.00pm eastern time Monday to Friday.

Once an appointment has been booked at a dealership, owners can expect the airbag refit to take between one and two hours.

In Australia, where the Takata airbag scandal has claimed at least one life, there is currently a multi-million-dollar marketing campaign dubbed ‘Don’t Die Wondering’ to encourage car owners to bring their vehicles in if affected.

So far around 1.4 million cars in Australia have been fixed, with roughly another 1.6 million requiring attention. Given the compulsory nature of the recall, brands will be fined if vehicles are not fixed by the end of 2020.

In a separate recall last week, Mercedes-Benz Australia issued a safety recall notice for its GLE large SUV and GLS upper-large SUV.

Just over 900 Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS vehicles have been recalled due to a potential hydrogen leak.

According to the recall notice: “Hydrogen may have become embedded in the material of the pistons of a certain batch of brake calipers.” The leaking materials can then enter “hydraulic components of the rear axle brake and cause compressibility there”.

In simpler terms, braking response at the rear axle will be reduced and “brake pedal travel may be extended.” In a worst-case scenario this could lead to longer braking distances and a potential accident.

Affected vehicles were sold between May 1 and August 23 this year. Owners will be notified via mail and are urged to book an appointment for inspection at a Mercedes-Benz dealership.