A recall does not only concern models freshly landed on the market, as evidenced by the operation referenced 69BT that the brand with the rings has just launched in the United States and which affects A4 1997 and 1998 vintages, as well as A8 of the 1998 vintage.
Unsurprisingly, a recall related to airbags and affecting vehicles put into circulation at the end of the last century is correlated with Takata, the former world’s largest producer of airbags which, during this period, delivered several million elements defective to almost all manufacturers on the planet. It should be noted that the 28,624 vehicles recalled today have already been recalled in the past for an airbag replacement. However, since Audi found an error in the processing of the previous reminder.
This involves checking and replacing the NADI inflators (non-azide conductive inflator) responsible for causing the airbag to deploy. The latter can absorb moisture which can cause the cushion to deploy unexpectedly or, in the event of an impact, partial deployment preventing the occupants of the car from being fully protected.
In Europe, given the age of the vehicles concerned (the recalled A4s were produced between August 4, 1997 and September 9, 1998, the A8s between September 4, 1997 and June 23, 1998), no equivalent recall will likely be organised.
