Takata airbags lead Audi to buy back 3,960 cars in Australia

Six weeks ago, BMW came out and announced that the German automaker will buy back the units that are affected by faulty Takata airbags. Also, BMW requested its customers to not drive the affected cars. And now, Audi, another German carmaker has made a similar statement and will be buying back the cars that feature the same Takata airbags as the BMW cars. Moreover, Audi has mentioned that replacing the airbags will be an expensive affair, and it will be better off for the automaker to simply buy back the cars.

As a part of the buyback campaign, Audi Australia will buy back 3,960 units that are carrying a faulty airbag inflator capable of rupturing and shooting dangerous metal scraps in the cabin in the event of a crash. Also, there is a high probability of the airbag not inflating as and when needed. Audi will be buying back the affected units at a value “as determined by an independent third-party valuer appointed by Audi”. “It is recommended that owners of vehicles affected by the recall make an appointment with their nearest Audi authorised dealer as soon as possible so that the vehicle can be inspected,” said Audi.

The Audi cars that are part of the campaign are:

• 1997-2000 Audi A4
• 1998-2000 Audi A6
• 1998-2000 Audi A8
• 1999-2000 Audi TT
• 1998-1999 Audi Cabriolet

Moving on, Audi will also arrange alternative arrangements for the affected customers who do not feel safe in driving their units to the dealership for an inspection. Similarly, BMW had also said that it will be paying for taxis, rental cars or supply loan vehicles. Faulty Takata airbags have resulted in 24 deaths and more than 260 serious injuries around the globe. In Australia itself, there have been 2 deaths and 2 serious injuries due to the faulty airbags.

“Transport safety authorities in Australia, US and Japan have identified a different type of Takata airbag that poses a critical risk of death or serious injury to vehicle occupants. The ACCC and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development are working with police and other authorities to understand the facts regarding two recent suspected mis-deployments of these inflators in Australia, including a death and a serious injury,” said Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

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