Frequently Asked Questions

The affected vehicles have been fitted with driver and or front passenger airbags that utilise non desiccated ammonium nitrate propellant contained in the inflator, produced by Takata. A mandatory safety recall has been issued by the Australian Government for all vehicles installed with affected frontal Takata airbag inflators due to concerns that, if a faulty Takata airbag needs to be deployed in the event of an accident, the airbag can go off with too much explosive force, rupturing the airbag inflator housing, causing sharp metal fragments to shoot out and kill or seriously injure people in the vehicle.

The ACCC’s investigation concluded that Takata PSAN airbags without a desiccant (or drying agent) or with a calcium sulphate desiccant have a design defect. The Minister decided to issue a compulsory recall because, based on extensive evidence provided by the ACCC, as the airbag ages and is exposed to high temperatures and humidity, the PSAN propellant is exposed to moisture and degrades. If this happens, when the airbag is triggered and deploys (in a collision), it can deploy with too much explosive force, rupturing the airbag inflator housing so that sharp metal fragments shoot out and hit vehicle occupants, injuring or killing them. A subset of Takata airbags called ‘alpha’ have been identified as posing the highest safety risk of all the recalled Takata airbags. Audi vehicles imported to Australia are not equipped with the Alpha airbag. According to the Australian Government, for non-alpha airbags in vehicles manufactured less than 6 years previously, there is no immediate known risk with the airbag, but there will be in the future. For vehicles fitted with a frontal Takata airbag more than 6 years old, the Australian Government has stated that there is a risk of injury or death in the event of rupture of the airbag inflator.

According to the Australian Government, if a faulty Takata airbag needs to be deployed in the event of an accident, the airbag can go off with too much explosive force, rupturing the airbag inflator housing, causing sharp metal fragments to shoot out and kill or seriously injure people in the vehicle. For vehicles fitted with a frontal Takata airbag more than 6 years old, the Australian Government has stated that there is a risk of injury or death in the event that the airbag inflator housing ruptures when the vehicle is involved in a collision. For non-alpha frontal Takata airbags in vehicles manufactured less than 6 years, there is no immediate known risk with the airbag, but there will be in the future. The Australian Government has stated that there is a risk of death or serious injury to people in the vehicle from when it reaches 6 years after its year of manufacture. The airbag inflator in these vehicles will need to be replaced before the airbag reaches 6 years old. The replacement will be carried out at no cost to you and will take approximately 1-2 hours to complete.

Table
Model	Airbag	Year of Manufacture	Number of Affected Vehicles
Audi A4 Cabriolet B7	Driver	2005-2008	473
Audi A3 8P	Driver	2005-2013	13119
Audi A5 Cabriolet B8	Driver	2009-2011	1143
Audi Q5 8R	Driver	2008-2012	9244
Audi A5 B8	Driver	2009-2011	2172
Audi TT	Driver	2014-2017	1305
Audi R8	Driver	2016-2017	128
Audi A4 B7	Driver	2004-2009	8345
Audi A6 C6	Driver	2004-2011	4177

A mandatory safety recall has been issued by the Australian Government for all vehicles installed with affected frontal Takata airbag inflators due to concerns that, if a faulty Takata airbag needs to be deployed in the event of an accident, the airbag can go off with too much explosive force, rupturing the airbag inflator housing, causing sharp metal fragments to shoot out and kill or seriously injure people in the vehicle. Please refer to the Product Safety Australia website for more information: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recalls/compulsory-takata-airbag-recall

Yes, the vehicle can be used until it is checked and/or repaired. According to the ACCC, the risk of a defective Takata airbag rupturing may arise between 6 and 25 years after it is installed in a vehicle. In areas of high heat and humidity, the risk of rupture may arise between 6 and 9 years. This is why, for vehicles such as the affected Audi vehicles that do not have Alpha airbags, the recall can be conducted in a staged process between now and the end of 2020.

The Australian Government has concluded that under certain conditions there is a risk of death or serious injury. For vehicles fitted with a frontal Takata airbag more than 6 years old, the Australian Government has stated that there is a risk of injury or death in the event that the airbag inflator housing ruptures when the vehicle is involved in a collision. For non-alpha frontal Takata airbags in vehicles manufactured less than 6 years, there is no immediate known risk with the airbag, but there will be in the future. The Australian Government has stated that there is a risk of death or serious injury to people in the vehicle from when it reaches 6 years after its year of manufacture. The airbag inflator in these vehicles will need to be replaced before the airbag reaches 6 years old.

Parts availability is currently being assessed and customers will be notified accordingly. Customer notifications will be prioritised based on vehicle age (oldest first) and location (areas with high humidity will be given priority). Audi will contact you when your airbag inflator is to be replaced. When Audi contacts you to inform you that the recall of your vehicle has been initiated, it is important that you follow the instructions contained in that communication to have the airbag replaced.

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