A new safety scare has hit South African roads as Volkswagen Group South Africa VWSA confirms an urgent recall of 150 vehicles due to a potentially life-threatening fault in the airbag system.
The National Consumer Commission NCC has issued a public warning regarding the gas generators in the front passenger airbags of certain Volkswagen Polo and Taigo models, which could fail catastrophically in the event of a crash. The risk? The airbag might not protect passengers as intended, and worse, it could injure or even kill occupants due to explosive fragments from the airbag's internal housing.
According to VWSA, 142 Polo vehicles and 8 Taigo models are affected. These units were made available to customers across South Africa, with the bulk of the Polos sold from 20 December 2022, and the Taigos and a single Polo released from 29 January 2024.
At the heart of the issue is a defect in the gas generator housing, a critical component in the airbags deployment system, as per Smile FM . The NCC warned that under certain crash conditions, the housing could rupture or dislodge, sending metal fragments flying inside the cabin, a problem that has led to injuries and deaths in similar airbag failures globally, including the infamous Takata airbag scandal.
Volkswagen owners who suspect their vehicle might be affected are urged to take immediate precautionary steps: