Life-threatening airbags in Passat, Polo, ID.7: VW warns against using the passenger seat

Volkswagen has determined that the passenger airbags of various models may "result in reduced protective effectiveness." To make matters worse, if the airbag is deployed in an accident, "the gas generator housing may burst" or "components may become detached, leading to serious" or even "fatal injuries to vehicle occupants," according to "Bild."

The case is reminiscent of the millions of recalls of cars equipped with airbags from the Japanese manufacturer Takata. These could explode even without an accident, injuring occupants with blown-off parts.

Affected VW drivers now need to deactivate the passenger airbag. This is usually done using the car key, which can be used to turn a switch on the narrow side of the dashboard (the part hidden by the closed passenger door). This should prevent the passenger airbag from deploying, which is normally necessary when using restraint systems for small children (such as rearward-facing baby bouncers).

However, a deactivated passenger airbag also means that this seat is no longer safe in the event of an accident, because the safety systems such as the seatbelt, belt tensioners, and airbag are all coordinated. If one fails, the remaining ones can no longer provide optimal accident protection. In practical terms, this means that the passenger seat may no longer be occupied – except with a baby bouncer. However, given the faulty airbags, most VW owners are likely to be wary of this type of use.

In the current case, drivers of models across VW's product portfolio received a warning letter. The Polo, Passat, Taigo, ID.7, ID.7 Tourer, and ID.Buzz are affected. A VW spokesperson told Bild that 16,510 cars worldwide were affected by the campaign, but could not provide a specific production date. However, the vehicles in question were "new vehicles produced in the last few months." Customers who have received such a message from Volkswagen should contact their VW dealer immediately and schedule a repair appointment, the manufacturer said. According to Bild, VW estimates the repair time to be between one and three hours.

However, the delivery of the necessary spare parts and scheduling appointments at the workshop are likely to cause delays. Bild quotes the customer letter: "Until your vehicle has been repaired, please deactivate the passenger airbag as described in the vehicle manual and do not use the passenger seat during this time."

VW customers who like to travel with a caring co-pilot on vacation must therefore expect that drinks will be served from the back seat this time.

According to Bild, Volkswagen is planning neither compensation nor a fully functional replacement vehicle. Instead, the manufacturer writes that it hopes for "understanding and support in handling this precautionary measure" and thanks "the trust in the Volkswagen brand."