Federal safety regulators want info on VW air bags

Reuters news service said Monday that federal safety regulators have directed the U.S. units of Volkswagen AG and air bag maker Takata Corp to provide information on the June rupture of a side air bag in a 2015 model VW Tiguan.

The late-model Tiguan is different from the more than 17 million older-model vehicles with potentially defective Takata front air bags that have been recalled, Reuters said. The other recalled vehicles are at least five years old. VW is not among the 11 automakers that have recalled vehicles with Takata air bags.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the cause of the June 7 air bag rupture is not known. The orders, sent Thursday to VW and Takata, seek more information about why a new vehicle's air bag ruptured, which does not fit the previous pattern.

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.

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