Volvo is recalling another 194,546 older vehicles built between 2001 and 2007 due to a potential problem with the airbag inflators. This comes two weeks after the automaker announced a recall of some 460,000 vehicles for the same issue.
The airbag inflators can explode during deployment due to propellant degradation that occurs after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures and big temperature cycles.
It's important to note that these are not problems related to the highly publicized Takata airbags, as Volvo was using units manufactured by supplier ZF/TRW at the time.
The vehicles affected by this new campaign are V70 and XC70 models built between February 22, 2000 and May 4, 2007.
We have contacted Volvo Canada to find out how many models in Canada are affected. We will update this story when the information is available.
In total, the company has recalled more than half a million vehicles worldwide to replace faulty inflators.
According to the recall notice, Volvo is aware of an incident in which an inflator ruptured, killing the driver.
The company will replace the driver's side airbag in affected vehicles “with a modern, state-of-the-art booster/inflator” free of charge. Owners of the affected vehicles should expect to receive a notice in the mail after December 14, 2021.
Given the age of the vehicles, reaching all current owners will be a complex challenge. Therefore, if you know of anyone who owns these models, you may want to inform them of the situation.