Volvo to recall nearly half a million cars after airbag fatality

Volvo is recalling 460,769 older model cars worldwide due to faulty air bags that could be deadly in the event of an accident.

The issue occurs when the air bag is activated. Fragments of the inflator inside the air bag may, in certain cases, project out and strike you, potentially resulting in serious injury or death, the company told U.S. safety regulators following a fatal accident involving one of its vehicles recently.

The news was confirmed in documents that Geely-owned Volvo, which recently announced plans to go public, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The vehicles impacted are older-model Volvos. They include the 2001-2006 S80 and 2001-2009 S60. The vehicles were produced between May 2000 and March 2009 and more than half – 259,383 – were sold in the U.S.