Air Bag Explosion Kills Volvo Driver, Leading to New Recall

Volvo has issued a vehicle defect recall of around 54,000 of their vehicles after a driver was killed by shrapnel from an air bag explosion.

The death was reported to Volvo in June 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The driver-side air bag inflator reportedly exploded, sending shrapnel into the cabin of the older Volvo sedan and killing the driver.

The recall impacts Volvo S80 sedans which were manufactured between May 20, 2000, and March 13, 2003 and Volvo S60 sedans which manufactured between July 13, 2000, and March 7, 2003. These vehicles must have been sold or registered in “hot or humid” states, including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If drivers are unsure whether their vehicle is included in the recall, they can check their VIN on the NHTSA website. Any available recall associated with that VIN number will show up on the search.

Consumers who leased or bought the recalled vehicles are eligible for a free air bag replacement. The replacement part will contain a different air bag propellant to correct the issue. These parts are suspected to be available by March 2021.

Volvo and the NHTSA have reportedly been meeting in regards to this subject since August 2019. According to Reuters, the air bag manufacturer – ZF Group – was informed of the related death around this time, after which it “promptly informed NHTSA and, together with Volvo, began investigating the incident.” ZF Group will reportedly “continue to work closely with NHTSA and Volvo on this issue.”

What Causes an Air Bag Explosion?

The root cause behind the air bag explosion has been identified as an issue with the air bags’ propellant. The ammonium nitrate-based propellant does not have a chemical drying agent. This propellant can reportedly be affected by environmental moisture, high temperatures, and age of the air bags. As a result, the propellant fails to deploy as designed.

Is the Volvo Recall Part of the Takata Air Bag Recall?

Like the air bags in the Volvo recall, the recalled Takata air bags have been found to unexpectedly rupture – sending metal shards into the passenger cabin.

The Takata air bag recall has been an ongoing issue and has been dubbed “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history” by the NHTSA. Nineteen different automakers have recalled millions of vehicles to replace these defective air bags, which have been linked to at least 25 deaths and 300 injuries worldwide.

Unfortunately, numerous consumers may have been affected by the Volvo and Takata air bag recalls. If these air bags failed to deploy as intended or launched shrapnel into the passenger cabin, drivers and passengers could have sustain serious, potentially fatal injuries.

The Takata air bag recall has led to legal resolutions, including a $5 million settlement reached in October. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced the settlement last month after reaching the resolution with Honda “over allegations of concealed safety issues related to defective Takata air bag systems in certain Honda and Acura vehicles.”

Under the terms of the settlement, Arizona Honda drivers can collect over $2 million in gift card incentives and $1.65 million in restitution. Around 40,000 gift cards will be sent to Arizonians who have their air bags replaced at a Honda dealership. Over 15,000 of the state’s residents will reportedly be sent a restitution check worth $100.

The Arizona AG argued that the state’s residents should have been informed of the risk of an air bag explosion associated with their Honda vehicles by September 2012. Instead, drivers only learned about the issue in November 2015, Brnovich contends.

Even now, “thousands” of vehicles in Arizona are reportedly equipped with dangerous Takata air bags. As a result of the recalled air bags, two Arizonians have reportedly died.

“One death is way too many,” Brnovich told ABC15 in a statement. “It’s tragedy and we want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

If you were affected by these recalls, you may be able to take legal action. A qualified vehicle defect lawyer can help evaluate your case and seek compensation.