International recall for more than 270,000 VW cars More nuclear energy from France and less candy advertising: the Sunday news

Volkswagen must again organize a recall campaign for more than 270,000 cars due to safety risks in airbags. As the group confirmed on Monday, it is a new tranche of models that incorporates technology from the Japanese manufacturer Takata. According to data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), no vehicles are currently affected in Germany – but some may have entered the country, according to VW.

The Flensburg authority cited “failure 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”. As a result, there have been a number of accidents in the past, some of them serious, in different countries.

Previous recalls were significantly larger. For example, Volkswagen in China had to send almost 4.9 million cars to the workshop in 2017 because of possible defective airbags. The cause is said to be an inferior propellant, which can trigger the airbag incorrectly, especially at higher humidity in a hot climate. “To rule out serious safety risks, the affected airbags will therefore be replaced according to availability,” said VW.

The current recalls concern cars “delivered in warm countries, for example in South America,” said a spokesman. “However, it cannot be ruled out that individual vehicles have also found their way to Germany.” According to the KBA, these are certain versions of the VW Golf and Passat, the small car Fox, the Saveiro pick-up and the Brazilian Voyage limousine from years built between 2013 and 2017. (sda/awp/dpa)