Volvo forced to recall over 450,000 vehicles worldwide after airbag death

Volvo is understood to be in the process of recalling nearly half a million vehicles worldwide after an airbag fitted on one of its models was attributed to the death of an owner in the United States.

As reported by CNBC, a total of 460,769 units are affected by the recall, with S80s built between 2001-2006 and S60s manufactured between 2001-2009 listed as the two models involved.

According to the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least one faulty airbag in a Volvo vehicle has been attributed to the death of an occupant, leading to 259,383 units in the US alone being recalled.

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"Volvo has identified [that] if the airbag inflator propellant tablets are subjected to elevated moisture levels and frequent high inflator temperatures, the tablets can start to decay and form dust particles," the NHTSA statement read.

"This localisation of moisture leads to volumetric changes of the tablets’ surface, creating dust over time. Dust increases burn surface area and thereby burn rate. [This] can result in [increased] combustion chamber pressure and risk of inflator rupture.

"Volvo Cars’ investigations have identified an issue regarding the driver airbag. In the event of a crash where the driver airbag is activated, fragments of the inflator inside it may, in certain cases, project out and in worst case strike you – potentially resulting in serious injury or death."

NHTSA documents show the airbags were not manufactured by Takata – which is undergoing its own recall of 67 million units – but the Swedish company AutoLiv and German manufacturer ZF.