Volvo S70, V70 Recall R/1999/079: Passenger Side Air Bag May Inadvertently Deploy, Who Is Affected And What To Do
- Urgent
- How serious
- 13 Oct 1999
- Launched
- 3,685
- vehicles in the UK
- R/1999/079
- DVSA reference
Volvo recalled S70, V70 vehicles built between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 1998. Possibility that passenger side air bag may be sensitive to electrostatic discharge and may inadvertently deploy. The dealer will fit an additional grounding wire to electrical system. You won't usually pay for it.1
What’s Wrong
Possibility that passenger side air bag may be sensitive to electrostatic discharge and may inadvertently deploy.
DVSA's Original Wording
Concern: PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MAY INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY Defect: Possibility that passenger side air bag may be sensitive to electrostatic discharge and may inadvertently deploy. Remedy: Recall affected vehicles and fit an additional grounding wire to electrical system.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Risk
The recall notice describes the concern as: passenger side air bag may inadvertently deploy.
The Fix
The dealer will fit an additional grounding wire to electrical system.
Are You Affected?
S70, V70 built between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 1998 may be included. Volvo estimates 3,685 vehicles in the UK. Enter your registration to check, then confirm by VIN with Volvo, because not every car in the date range may be included.
Which Car Is It?
Choose the make and model so we can match recalls to your car.
What To Do Now
- Check your car by registration above, then by VIN with Volvo.
- Book with any franchised Volvo dealer, quoting the DVSA reference R/1999/079. See how to get a Volvo recall fixed.
- Follow the letter's instructions until the repair is done. See can you drive a car with a recall?.
Related Recalls
| Launched | Vehicle and fault | Severity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| S60, S60CC, S80, V40 and 6 moreThere is a risk for trapped air to be in the cooling system which may result in insufficient cooling of engine components | Low | R/2020/210 | |
| S60, S60CC, S80, V40 and 6 moreThere is a risk for trapped air to be in the cooling system | Low | R/2020/205 | |
| S60, S60CC, S80, V60 and 4 morePotential breakage/fatigue of a flexible steel cable supporting the front seatbelt anchor point | Urgent | R/2020/192 | |
| S60, S60CC, S80, S90 and 10 moreThe engine's plastic inlet manifold may melt and deform | Urgent | R/2019/180 | |
| S60, S60CC, S80, V40 and 7 moreSmall cracks on the inside of a rubber fuel hose | Urgent | R/2018/377 |
This is one of 175 Volvo recalls in DVSA’s data. The Volvo recall launched before it was R/1999/040 on 19 May 1999, for possibility of an electrical short circuit. The one launched after it was R/1999/091 on 13 Oct 1999, for headlamps may fail to operate. You can also see every Volvo recall, all recalls launched in 1999 and airbag recalls across every make.
Source: DVSA recall R/1999/079, launched 13 October 1999. Data updated 15 October 2026. How we grade urgency.
Sources
- The Code does not itself say repairs are free. GOV.UK guidance says "You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall." gov.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.