Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Mercedes-Benz is recalling approximately 223,000 vehicles globally due to a potentially dangerous airbag defect involving components manufactured by Takata — the same company at the center of one of the largest auto safety scandals in history, Azernews reports.

The recall specifically affects Viano and Vito vans produced between December 2002 and February 2006. In Germany alone, 60,245 vehicles are included in the recall campaign, according to a company spokesperson.

The issue stems from the possible installation of a Takata airbag module during previous airbag replacements. In the event of a collision, there is a risk that the gas generator inside the module could explode, rather than deploying the airbag safely. Such an incident could cause metal fragments to be ejected into the vehicle cabin, posing serious injury risks to the driver and passengers.

Mercedes-Benz emphasized that the airbag in question may fail to provide proper protection during an accident, and the malfunction could result in life-threatening injuries.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified in writing by the company’s authorized sales and service network. The recall service will involve an inspection of the driver-side airbag, and if necessary, the airbag module will be replaced — free of charge. The repair process is expected to take about one hour at authorized service centers.

This recall highlights the long-lasting fallout of the global Takata airbag crisis, which has led to the recall of more than 100 million vehicles worldwide over the past decade and has been linked to dozens of deaths and injuries globally.

Although Mercedes-Benz is not the original source of the faulty airbag modules, the company is taking a proactive safety-first approach to protect its customers and uphold its reputation for reliability and engineering excellence.

Vehicle owners are encouraged to check their VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on the official Mercedes-Benz website or contact local dealers to see if their vehicle is affected.