International recall of more than 270,000 VW cars over airbag risk

German carmaker Volkswagen has to organize another recall for more than 270,000 cars because of safety risks in their airbags.
As the company confirmed on Monday, the recall involves a new tranche of models in which technology from the Japanese manufacturer Takata is installed.
According to data from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), no vehicles are currently affected in Germany, but some could have entered the country, according to VW.
The authority cited "faults in the gas generator of the front airbags" as the reason. This could lead to "uncontrolled deployment and the release of metal fragments that could injure the occupants."
In the past, there had already been several accidents in various countries, some of them serious.
In the past, recalls were considerably more extensive. In China, for example, Volkswagen had to send almost 4.9 million cars to the workshops in 2017 because of possibly defective airbags. The cause is said to be an inferior propellant that can mistakenly trigger the airbag, especially in higher humidity in warm climates.
"In order to rule out serious safety risks, affected airbags will therefore be replaced according to availability," VW said.
The current recalls concern cars "that were delivered in hot countries, for example in South America," a spokesman said. "However, it cannot be ruled out that individual vehicles have also found their way to Germany."
According to the KBA, the recall concerns certain versions of the VW Golf and Passat, the small car Fox, the pick-up Saveiro and the Brazilian sedan Voyage from model years 2013 to 2017.