Audi Recalled for Airbag Software Defect
According to a release by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), German luxury automaker Audi has decided to issue a voluntary recall of more than 100,000 of their luxury sedans and station wagons sold in the United States, as part of a worldwide recall of 850,000 vehicles, because of a glitch they discovered in the front airbag.
This airbag problem is not related to the other massive recalls announced earlier this year regarding Takata airbags, which can explode and send metal shrapnel throughout the vehicle’s cabin. In this case the recall, which covers A4 and S4 sedans and Allroad station wagons from model years 2013 through 2015, will attempt to fix a problem with the airbag software that prevents the airbags from functioning properly in an accident. Basically, the software problem could cause the airbag to not inflate at all in a crash.
Audi discovered the problem back in August when they analyzed some field observations and conducted several routine tests. What they found was that, in some cases, improper coding and algorithms used in the airbag control module software could prevent the front airbags from deploying in a secondary impact crash. So far, they have not received any reports of injuries or fatalities because of the problem. They plan to notify the owners of the affected cars this month, and the owners will be instructed to go to an Audi dealer, where the software will be updated so that it will work properly.
This has been the worst year for motor vehicle recalls ever, as automakers try to get ahead of the curve and fix problems before they lead to more injuries and deaths. The two biggest recalls this year involved General Motors vehicles, which were finally recalled after a ten-year delay for defective ignition switches that could be jostled into the off position causing everything inside the vehicle to lose power and network, including steering, brakes and even airbags.
If you own one of the Audi vehicles being recalled, you should receive a notice from the automaker. If you do, immediately follow the recall instructions and get your car repaired. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in any traffic accident and you believe a defective vehicle may have been a factor, please contact the knowledgeable and experienced Texas Automobile Defect Attorney at Hill Law Firm, so that we can investigate and help you protect your rights under the law.