Zetland, 17 December, 2019 – Audi Australia today announced a safety recall of certain Audi vehicles model years 1997 to 2000, which could potentially be fitted with a certain Driver airbag using a specific propellant non-azide driver inflator Takata (NADI).
The safety of customers is Audi Australia's first priority. Accordingly, Audi Australia has decided to implement the voluntary recall in response to concerns raised by the component supplier of the airbag inflators that the affected airbags manufactured by Takata between May 1995 and August 1999 may be faulty.
Specifically, the component supplier is concerned that, if a vehicle fitted with a Takata driver Airbag inflator manufactured between May 1995 and August 1999 is involved in a collision, the airbag inflator could rupture causing sharp metal fragments to enter the vehicle cabin at high speed that could injure or kill the driver or passengers in the vehicle.
The component supplier is also concerned that there is a potential risk that the airbag may underinflate in a collision and may not protect the driver as intended.
The component supplier has informed Audi about several misdeployments of this type of airbag inflator in non-Audi vehicles in Australia and overseas, although none of those misdeployments have involved the specific sub-type of airbag inflator supplied to Audi and Audi is not aware of any reported incidents involving the specific inflators fitted to Audi vehicles anywhere in the world.
Audi Australia is recalling the following Audi vehicles for inspection:
- A4 (8D) manufactured between January 1997 and December 1999
- A6 (4B) manufactured between January 1998 and December 1999
- A8 (4D) manufactured between January 1998 and December 1999
- TT (8N) manufactured between January 1999 and December 1999
- Cabriolet (8G) manufactured between January 1998 and December 1999
Owners of these vehicles will be contacted directly on an individual basis.
Anyone wishing to determine whether their vehicle is subject to the safety recall can use the VIN checkers available on the Audi website.
Although Audi is not aware of any reported incidents involving these driver airbags in Audi vehicles anywhere in the world, if the airbag in a vehicle is confirmed to be a driver airbag inflator manufactured by Takata of the kind that the component supplier is concerned may be faulty as described above, and the vehicle is validly registered for road use in Australia as at today's date, Audi Australia will offer to buy back that registered vehicle at present market value (as determined by an independent third party valuer appointed by Audi). Due to the age of the vehicles, replacement driver airbag inflators are not available.
Audi Australia encourages all owners of the above model Audi vehicles to contact their nearest Audi authorised dealer as soon as possible. Audi owners can find that dealer by visiting https://forms.audi.com.au/locate-a-dealer.
They can obtain more information about the recall by contacting our Audi Takata Information Line on 1800 856 770 between 8.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday (AEST).
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In 2018, the Audi Group delivered to customers about 1.812 million automobiles of the Audi brand, 5,750 sports cars of the Lamborghini brand and 53,004 motorcycles of the Ducati brand. In the 2018 fiscal year, AUDI AG achieved total revenue of €59.2 billion and an operating profit before special items of €4.7 billion. At present, approximately 90,000 people work for the company all over the world, more than 60,000 of them in Germany. Audi focuses on sustainable products and technologies for the future of mobility.