Vehicle Recall Announced After Defective Airbag Leads To Driver's Death

Volvo says airbags inside some of its older cars are potentially dangerous. The government released the recall after one driver was killed when parts of the airbag inflator exploded and flew out. The recall covers 54,000 S60 and S80 models from 2001 to 2003, sold or registered in 12 states, mostly in the South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

The inflators were made by the company ZF TRW and are different than those from Takata, which caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, affecting almost every automaker.

At least 63 million Takata airbags were recalled, but government regulators say around 11 million have not been fixed and could still be on the road.

"Take it seriously, recalls are only about safety issues, they’re only about something that is dangerous or a violation of a federal standard,” says Jason Levine, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety.

Levine says many owners don't realize their vehicles have a problem. “You know, it's unfortunately common for recall notices not to reach the current owner of a vehicle. You know, if you’re the second, you’re the third owner of a vehicle, the manufacturer might not have your information easily accessible,” he says.

That's why experts say it's important to visit safercar.gov. Anyone can enter their vehicle's VIN number to see if it's under a recall. All repairs made under a recall are free.

Experts say you should also check the VIN number when buying a used car. Currently there is no federal law against selling a used car with an open recall.

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