The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US has sought details from automaker Volkswagen and Japanese airbag manufacturer Takata about the explosion of a side airbag in a 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan.
Volkswagen was not featured in the list of automobile manufacturers recalling vehicles containing Takata airbags as the late-model Tiguan does not fall in the pattern of 17 million cars that have been recalled for airbag snags, a Reuters report said.
All the recalled vehicles within the purview of recall are found to be at least five years old and most of them were manufactured between 2000 and 2007.
The recalls were borne out of safety concerns due to ruptures in some airbag inflators made by Takata. The company has informed that over-aggressive deployment of some inflators were caused by persistent conditions of high absolute humidity over years, coupled with manufacturing glitches.
So far, Takata airbag snags have claimed eight lives.
Takata spokesman Jared Levy said: "We believe it is unrelated to the previous recalls, which the extensive data suggests were a result of aging and long-term exposure to heat and high humidity."
The NHTSA's query refers to the June 7 airbag explosion and the orders issued to both the firms are aimed at seeking more information to ascertain the causes which does not fit the patterns previously observed.
Eight people have been killed in accidents involving front air bags supplied by Takata. The air bags can explode with too much force, sending shrapnel into the vehicle.
