Takata recalls an additional 3.3 million airbags
Takata, the parts supplier is responsible for the largest auto recall in history. It has also now recalled another 3.3 million airbags as part of a United States filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). By the end of next year (2019), the recall could account for over 125 million defective inflators worldwide.
The latest recalls concerned frontal airbags fitted to certain vehicles made in 2009, 2010 and 2013. The suppliers identified at least 15 automakers in the US and up to 19 worldwide that purchased the air bags.
Ford confirmed yesterday that a second death in an older Ranger pickup truck caused by a defective airbag inflator of Takata Corp and has now appealed to the remaining 2,900 (of 391,000) owners in North America to stop driving immediately until they can get the inflator replaced. Mazda is following suit with their 2006 model year B-Series pick-up which are similar to the Ranger and built by Ford in the same factory.
In a statement posted on its website, the company said, ‘Takata Corporation apologises to the driving public for the widespread concern and inconvenience caused as a result of our inflators.
‘We urge US drivers to visit the NHTSA website to check if your vehicle is under recall, and to take immediate action if your vehicle is identified as requiring repair.’
It is estimated that circa two-thirds of possibly 32 million vehicles with defective inflators were still to be repaired as of four months ago. The NHTSA has a plan in place to repair all defective airbags in phases, with priority given to Honda and others most at risk.
It is reported that the defective Takata inflators can explode in a crash and spray vehicle occupants with metal fragments. The parts have been linked to at least 21 deaths worldwide and hundreds of injuries.
The ever growing liabilities from the recalls forced Takata to file for bankruptcy in June. It is widely reported that Key Safety Systems, a parts supplier owned by China’s Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp, plans to acquire the viable divisions of the company.
Finally, a man (not the owner) died while working using a hammer to carry out some repair to a 2001 Honda Accord which was parked at a house in Florida in 2016. The repair was being carried out while the ignition was in the ‘on’ position. Somehow, the person activated the airbag inflater, which ruptured as the bag blew up, according to Honda in the US.