Takata Airbag Recall – Is Your Vehicle Impacted?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls the Takata Airbag recall the “largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history,” and there’s a good chance your vehicle is included.

Takata Corporation is a Japanese auto parts company with production facilities all over the world. Since the company was founded in 1933, Takata has been making seat belts and air bags for Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and more. In 2017 Takata filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Key Safety Systems. That seems a misnomer, since defective Takata airbags could deploy explosively, leading to injury or even death.

What Caused the Takata Airbag Recall?

This isn’t a new problem that just popped up. In November of 2014, the New York Times published a report saying Takata knew about and covered up risks from airbag deployment all the way back in 2004. Soon after, Honda and Ford recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles that might have dangerous components. But that didn’t solve all the problems.

In Los Angeles, a driver rented a Honda in late 2014. During a collision, the Takata airbag ruptured and the driver died. In 2015, a Honda Accord driver was killed by an exploding airbag inflator. Recalls expanded, but more deaths followed. In 2016, a 17-year-old from Texas died when shrapnel from an exploding Takata airbag hit her neck.

In 2017, Takata finally pleaded guilty to lying to auto makers about product safety. As recently as March 2019, Honda announced that an Arizona driver died after being injured by a ruptured airbag inflator. Twenty-five deaths worldwide and more than 290 injuries are attributed to Takata airbag inflators.

Cause of Takata Airbag Injuries

Airbags are designed to rapidly inflate during a crash and provide cushion from impact. Not all Takata airbags are the same. The problem typically involves the inflator, a device that actually fills the airbag with a large volume of gas very rapidly.

Over time, the propellant inside affected Takata airbags breaks down because of exposure to temperature extremes and humidity. In a collision, tiny particles can fly like shrapnel into the face and neck of passengers and drivers.

What You Should Do

So many vehicles are affected, it will take time for replacement airbags to be manufactured and for auto makers to make the switch. You can see if your vehicle needs repairs by entering your vehicle identification number (VIN) into the NHTSA website. If your vehicle is involved, contact your local dealer and they’ll arrange to fix your vehicle for free.

Texas is a high humidity area. Takata inflators seem to cause more problems in areas like ours, so it’s important not to ignore the recall if your car is involved. Some vehicles are at a higher risk, including some Honda and Acura vehicles made between 2001 and 2003, the 2006 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series trucks.

More recalls will be issued, so it’s a good idea to sign up for recall alerts. If you’ve been the victim of an auto-maker’s negligence, schedule a consultation with the Monsour Law Firm attorneys to find out your rights.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls the Takata Airbag recall the “largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history,” and there’s a good chance your vehicle is included.

Takata Corporation is a Japanese auto parts company with production facilities all over the world. Since the company was founded in 1933, Takata has been making seat belts and air bags for Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and more. In 2017 Takata filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Key Safety Systems. That seems a misnomer, since defective Takata airbags could deploy explosively, leading to injury or even death.

What Caused the Takata Airbag Recall?

This isn’t a new problem that just popped up. In November of 2014, the New York Times published a report saying Takata knew about and covered up risks from airbag deployment all the way back in 2004. Soon after, Honda and Ford recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles that might have dangerous components. But that didn’t solve all the problems.

In Los Angeles, a driver rented a Honda in late 2014. During a collision, the Takata airbag ruptured and the driver died. In 2015, a Honda Accord driver was killed by an exploding airbag inflator. Recalls expanded, but more deaths followed. In 2016, a 17-year-old from Texas died when shrapnel from an exploding Takata airbag hit her neck.

In 2017, Takata finally pleaded guilty to lying to auto makers about product safety. As recently as March 2019, Honda announced that an Arizona driver died after being injured by a ruptured airbag inflator. Twenty-five deaths worldwide and more than 290 injuries are attributed to Takata airbag inflators.

Cause of Takata Airbag Injuries

Airbags are designed to rapidly inflate during a crash and provide cushion from impact. Not all Takata airbags are the same. The problem typically involves the inflator, a device that actually fills the airbag with a large volume of gas very rapidly.

Over time, the propellant inside affected Takata airbags breaks down because of exposure to temperature extremes and humidity. In a collision, tiny particles can fly like shrapnel into the face and neck of passengers and drivers.

What You Should Do

So many vehicles are affected, it will take time for replacement airbags to be manufactured and for auto makers to make the switch. You can see if your vehicle needs repairs by entering your vehicle identification number (VIN) into the NHTSA website. If your vehicle is involved, contact your local dealer and they’ll arrange to fix your vehicle for free.

Texas is a high humidity area. Takata inflators seem to cause more problems in areas like ours, so it’s important not to ignore the recall if your car is involved. Some vehicles are at a higher risk, including some Honda and Acura vehicles made between 2001 and 2003, the 2006 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series trucks.

More recalls will be issued, so it’s a good idea to sign up for recall alerts. If you’ve been the victim of an auto-maker’s negligence, schedule a consultation with the Monsour Law Firm attorneys to find out your rights.