-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
Originator-Key-Asymmetric:
 MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen
 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
 Ng9G+nFpcwXhXFqqkn+DdYCKhnxAT2IMv3YQpZhT8aO4skSa42TQS25MZ9sUElIo
 D4EUeJ1qOHyuxNqrCisaTQ==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001034670-08-000032.txt : 20081110
<SEC-HEADER>0001034670-08-000032.hdr.sgml : 20081110
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20081110175602
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001034670-08-000032
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20081030
FILED AS OF DATE:		20081110
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20081110

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			AUTOLIV INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001034670
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	MOTOR VEHICLE PARTS & ACCESSORIES [3714]
		IRS NUMBER:				510378542
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3350 AIRPORT RD
		CITY:			OGDEN
		STATE:			UT
		ZIP:			84405
		BUSINESS PHONE:		8016299800

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		BOX 70381
		STREET 2:		SE 107 24 STOCKHOLM
		CITY:			SWEDEN
		STATE:			V7

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			WESTERBERG LARS
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001079009

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-12933
		FILM NUMBER:		081177274

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		STORGATEN 38
		CITY:			STOCKHOLM
		STATE:			V7
		ZIP:			00000
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>primary_doc.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2008-10-30</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001034670</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>AUTOLIV INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ALV</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001079009</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WESTERBERG LARS</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1></rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity></rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-10-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>6000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>21.05</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>74000</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-10-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>61000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>20.98</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>13000</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-10-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>67000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>21.07</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>80000</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The price per share is Swedish Krona 160.06. As of October 30, 2008 1 Swedish Krona is equal to 0.131529 U.S. dollars</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">When Mr. Westerberg initially reported his holdings in Autoliv, Inc. on February 1, 1999, he stated that he held 19,000 shares in total. It was further stated that of these shares 6,000 shares were directly held by Mr. Westerberg and 13,000 shares were held indirectly. The indirect holdings represented 8,000 shares held by his son Erik Westerberg and 5,000 shares held by a company (Bilerma AB - now namechanged to Westbarn Invest AB - owned by his two children) of which he is the Chairman of the Board. These holdings should have been and are now reported as indirect holdings of Mr. Westerberg. Although the information has not changed since Mr. Westerberg first reported these holdings, he has not previously designated the 13,000 holdings as indirect holdings on any Forms 5 or on the Forms 4 he submitted in 2003, 2006 and 2007. Rather, as noted above, until this Form 4 he has reported the entire holding as direct holdings.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The price per share is Swedish Krona 160.19. As of October 30, 2008, 1 Swedish Krona is equal to 0.131529 U.S. dollars.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Lars Westerberg</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2008-11-10</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
-----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----