Recall of Takata Airbags Numbers Every 1 in 8 Vehicles in the U.S.
Recalls of vehicles with potentially deadly Takata air bags affect 1 in every 8 vehicles nationwide yet many people do not know if their current vehicle is one of those affected. This is according to a recent report by Kelly Blue Book.
To date, the recall affects more than 32 million vehicles in the United States from auto manufactures Toyota, Honda, Nissan, General Motors, Mitsubishi, and Ford.
“Consumer opinions on the Takata airbag recall seem to be another unfortunate case of people thinking ‘it won’t happen to me,’ but this is easily the largest, most expensive automotive safety issue in U.S. history. In fact, 1 in 8 vehicles on the road are affected by this massive recall, yet 33% of those surveyed don’t know if they are impacted,” Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book, said in a statement.
The survey of 1,000 people was conducted June 3 to 6.
To date, fourteen deaths and more than 100 injuries have been linked to the defective airbags. Ten of the deaths were in the United States; the other four in Malaysia.
Takata uses the chemical ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate the air bags in a crash. However, when vehicles with these air bags spend years in hot areas with high humidity — including the Gulf Coast and parts of California, the chemical can deteriorate and explode with too much force, flinging shrapnel into the driver and passengers.
In 2015, NHTSA imposed a civil penalty for Takata’s violations of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and for the first time used its authority to accelerate recall repairs to millions of affected vehicles. Takata agreed to replace the inflators in five phases, beginning in May 2016 through December 2019; vehicles are to be prioritized based on age and risk factor.
Some automakers are still making vehicles with air bags from Takata that include the faulty inflators.
NHSTA recommends car owners check for recall information on safercar.gov and, if their vehicle is part of the recall, contact a local dealer for a free repair.
Latest List:
Vehicles recalled for driver side inflators:
2005-2014 Ford Mustang
2005-2006 Ford GT
2004-2006 Ford Ranger built in North America
Vehicles recalled for passenger side inflators:
2005-2011 Ford Mustang
2005-2006 Ford GT
2004-2011 Ford Ranger built in North America
2006-2011 Ford Fusion
2007-2010 Ford Edge
2006 Lincoln Zephyr
2007-2011 Lincoln MKZ
2007-2010 Lincoln MKX
2006-2011 Mercury Milan
