Volkswagen recalls more than 114,000 vehicles: See affected models

Volkswagen is recalling nearly 115,000 Beetle and Passat models over potentially dangerous faults in the air bag system.
According to a recall notice reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week, certain Volkswagens may have driver’s side air bag inflators with the potential to explode, posing the risk of injury for drivers and passengers.
The affected vehicles are equipped with Takata airbags, which have been subject to a years-long recall impacting millions of cars and car owners.
Here’s what to know about the Volkswagen recall.
According to the NHTSA notice, the 114,478 affected vehicles have a driver’s side frontal air bag inflator with a propellant that can degrade over time from exposure to high humidity, high temperatures and high-temperature cycling. This can cause the inflator to explode, resulting in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants and causing serious injury or death.
Volkswagen and the the safety administration said no incidences related to this potential defect have been reported, but the recall was initiated out of an “abundance of caution.”
According to the report, recalled vehicles are equipped with Takata SDI-D driver frontal airbaginflators. Takata air bags have been the subject of a decade and a half of recalls spanning tens of millions of vehicles, with at least 28 deaths attributed to malfunctioning Takata air bags.
Dealers will replace the driver’s side front airbag module, free of charge. Owners of affected cars will be notified via mail and may also contact Volkswagen’s customer service at 1-800-893-5298 about recall numbers 69EG and 69GQ.
Car owners looking to check the status of their vehicles can enter their information into the NHTSA recall check or check USA TODAY’s recall database for car and motor vehicle recalls.