Mercedes recall 400,000 cars for exploding airbags – is yours at risk?

The car manufacturer issued an urgent recall last night after a number of cases were reported of airbags going off unexpectedly. 

The cause for the faulty airbag is due to a dodgy spring in the steering column.

Mercedes are concerned the clock spring module could break causing the airbag to go off unexpectedly. 

Cars built between November 2011 and July 2017 could potentially be affected by the faulty airbag.

Models in Mercedes’ range that are at risk are the A-Class, B-Class, C-Class, E-Class and also some CLA, GLA and GLC cars. 

Currently no fatalities have occurred as a result of the exploding airbag but 30 individual cases have been reported on worldwide. 

Mercedes is warning customers that if a warning light appears on the dashboard, they should contact their dealership immediately. 

Cars are still safe to drive in this period of time and Mercedes will in due course contact owners on how to get them fixed. 

The German car giant has stated that it will replace the faulty spring free of charge and the repair will take around an hour to fix.

A Mercedes spokesman said: “If the steering column module clock spring is broken and the wiring components are not earthed, this could lead to an electrostatic discharge which could inadvertently deploy the driver’s airbag.

The airbag issues affecting these cars is said to be an issue that is not related to the Takata airbag scandal.

Millions of vehicles worldwide were recalled over faulty airbags supplied by Takata.