U.S. lawmakers are now urging the expansion of a major driver-side airbag recall. Originally, the airbag maker, Takata, only recalled airbags in one region. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now wants a larger recall that would include more than 20 million vehicles. Many car brands, including Honda, Toyota, BMW, Chrysler, GM, Mitsubishi, Ford, Subaru and Mazda are included.
The airbag is dangerous because when it deploys it can release bits of metal that act like shrapnel. The defective airbags already caused at least four deaths and more than 100 injuries.
Takata has only agreed to a recall for specific regions in the South, including parts of Georgia, plus Hawaii and some island provinces. The company believes that the airbags are more likely to be defective in warm, humid climates. But the NHTSA investigation revealed that there have been incidents outside the Southeast. So, now they are urging Takata to expand the recall to the entire country. So far, the company has not agreed to this expansion.
Many of the affected car companies have already been recalling and replacing airbags. Honda is replacing airbags for anyone who owns a recalled vehicle, even if they are not in the region of the official recall.
Here is an official list of the vehicles included in this recall. If your car is on the list and registered in Georgia, you should have already received a recall notice in the mail. If you have not, you can use your VIN number to check at this website to make sure you qualify for the replacement. Call your dealer ahead of taking it in to get the repairs, because there are reports of dealers running low on replacement supplies.
The bottom line – these airbags can be deadly. If you have a car on the list, we at Walker Smith Body Shop hope this post will help you get your airbags replaced!
Want to read more, check out our previous years, Thanksgiving blog post about Road Turkeys.