WASHINGTON (US) – Volvo Cars is recalling 54,000 US vehicles for an air bag defect after one crash death recently happened in connection to the issue, according to a filing with US regulators.
The unit of Geely Automotive is bringing back 2001-2003 model S80 and S60 vehicles sold or registered in US states of high humidity, as the frontal air bag inflator on the driver side may rupture, leading to the metal fragments flying, when the air bag is deployed.
According to the Volvo filing with the government, the inflators with a modern propellant and inflator will be replaced. Parts are expected to be available by March.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Saturday it confirmed the death of a person in the United States when a ZF/TRW FG2 twin driver air bag inflator containing the propellant 5AT-148N exploded.
The agency said the fatal incident was the only such known incident of rupture for this type of inflator around the world.
Volvo did not immediately comment on Saturday.
ZF Group said, it “will continue to work closely with NHTSA and Volvo on this issue.”