The agency said it had 90 complaints of problems after the recall was announced including some reports of problems after owners had repairs completed. NHTSA said a component of the air bag could become contaminated and cause the air bag not to deploy in a crash.

The investigation covers eight models from the 2010-2014 time frame, including the Jetta, Tiguan, Golf and Passat.

(Reporting by David Shepardson)