Volkswagen recalls Beetles to replace Takata airbag inflators

DETROIT (AP) — Volkswagen is recalling over 105,000 Beetles with faulty Takata front driver’s airbags that can explode and hurl shrapnel.

The recall covers Beetles from the 2012 through 2014 model years. Dealers will replace the air bags at no cost.

Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate the bags in a crash. But the chemical can degrade when exposed to high heat and humidity and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister.

Volkswagen says the inflators have a moisture absorbing chemical and are not a safety threat.

Exploding Takata inflators caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 63 million inflators recalled. Twenty-seven people have been killed worldwide by the exploding inflators, including 18 in the U.S.