Automakers recall millions of cars as faulty airbag fears escalate
A defect in the airbags stemming from one of the world’s largest producers of auto components has led to more than 10 million car recalls in five years
Cars made by manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Ford have been recalled over growing fears about faulty airbags
Automakers and regulators are growing increasingly concerned over one of the most critical safety components in cars, the airbag. Certain airbags made by the Takata Corporation, one of the leading producers of auto components, could rupture and send sharp debris flying inside the car, said US regulators and several media reports on the matter. The faulty airbags have so far led to over 10 millions recalls from leading car manufacturers.
Seven automakers recalled more than three million vehicles worldwide this week after US regulators raised concerns that Takata’s passenger- and driver-side airbags manufactured between 2000 and 2002, could be faulty. The recalls included cars made by Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Ford, Chrysler and BMW and followed an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after it received three complaints of injuries caused by the airbag inflators’ rupturing.
[T]he number of recalled cars could rise as automakers hedge
their bets
A Honda spokesman said the company was aware of more than 30 injuries and two deaths in the US related to Takata airbags, Reuters said. According to the report, certain air bag inflators made in the US and Mexico risk exploding and shooting out shrapnel at drivers and passengers.
The latest recall is not the first for Takata, which is under pressure from regulators after failing to keep up with safety regulations. Last year, several Japanese automakers, along with BMW, recalled 3.6 million cars over the same defect. Then on June 11, Toyota expanded that recall by 2.3 million vehicles, as Takata was unable to disprove that previously recalled vehicles could have further airbag problems. Because of this lack of sufficient records on the faulty airbags, the number of recalled cars could rise as automakers hedge their bets.
The issues with Takata’s airbags come at a time when the auto industry is under increased scrutiny. In the US alone, airbag issues have led to 10 million recalls this year, out of a total of 30 million auto recalls. And an inquiry into General Motors is questioning why it took more than a decade to discover a faulty ignition switch linked to at least 13 deaths.
Conversely, while automakers are waiting for Takata replacement parts, car manufacturers are turning off air bags in Japan as customers bring in recalled vehicles. Evidently, an inoperable air bag is safer than a potentially defective one.
