On May 19, 2015, at the insistence of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Takata admitted that a defect exists in some of its air bag inflators and agreed to an expansion of a national recall of certain types of frontal driver and passenger side air bag inflators used in vehicles manufactured by BMW, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. These inflators were made with a propellant that can degrade over time and has led to ruptures that have been blamed for six deaths worldwide.
On November 3, 2015, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued an order to Takata imposing the largest civil penalty in NHTSA’s history ($200,000,000 – two hundred million dollars) on the air bag manufacturer for its violations of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, among other things. Also on November 3, NHTSA issued an order to Takata and the affected vehicle manufacturers to accelerate recall repairs.
In the two-week period ending December 4, 2015 just over 950,000 vehicles had been repaired–only about 31 million to go.
As of December 31, 2015, there have been eight U.S. fatalities likely caused by a rupture of a Takata air bag inflator. Although yet to be confirmed by the manufacturer, the incident involved a model year 2001 vehicle that spent most of it service life in the high absolute humidity (HAH) region and had been under recall for many years. The fatality was the result of a driver air bag rupture, as has been the case for all known fatalities.
Takata Air Bag Recall FAQ
How Do I Find out if My Vehicle is Part of the Recall?
An updated list of makes, models and model years affected by the Takata inflator recalls is available at www.safercar.gov/rs/takata/takatalist.html.
What Should I Do if My Vehicle has been Recalled?
If your vehicle is under recall, you will receive a letter from the manufacturer notifying you of the recall. It will be clearly marked as important safety information and have the Department of Transportation (DOT) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) logos. When you receive that notification, you should call your local dealer as soon as possible to make an appointment for a free remedy.
What Do I Do if the Dealer is Not Fixing My Air Bags?
If you received your recall notice and are having problems getting the free fix from your dealer, please file a complaint with NHTSA on safercar.gov or at 1-888-327-4236.
What if I was Injured or a Loved One was Killed from a Defective Air Bag?
If you or a family member was harmed by a defective air bag, you can contact our law firm for a free consultation. In some cases, the air bag explodes, shooting shrapnel towards the driver or passenger. As stated, eight people have died. Many others have been seriously injured. To request a free consultation, use our online contact form or call us at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).