NHTSA Issues Safety Recall Covering Millions of Cars with Takata Airbags

After an investigation into vehicle recalls and consumer reports of failed or exploding airbags manufactured by Takata – one of only three airbag manufacturers in the world – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an urgent safety recall covering 4.7 million vehicles with Takata airbags.

The safety recall spans numerous vehicle manufacturers, including Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, BMW, and General Motors, which have all used Takata airbags for years in their cars, trucks, and SUVs. The NHTSA’s safety recall was issued on Monday, October 20th, and the federal regulatory agency urged consumers with vehicles manufactured by one of these automotive companies to have their airbags inspected and replaced immediately.

The NHTSA said the safety recall was urgent because at least four people have died due to the faulty Takata airbags.

Individual manufacturers have, over the last two years, issued vehicle recalls of their own due to Takata’s faulty airbags, covering 12 million vehicles in all. Reportedly, inflator mechanisms in the Takata airbags can corrode in high humidity, especially in places like Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Hawaii, California, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa. When the inflator mechanism corrodes, it can cause the airbag to spontaneously inflate and explode, sending hot air and shrapnel into the passengers or driver.

The NHTSA urges consumers to check their website – http://www.safercar.gov – and see if their vehicle needs to be inspected and have a Takata airbag replaced. Consumers can enter their vehicle’s VIN number to see if it is part of the safety recall.

Toyota recently widened its vehicle recall involving Takata airbags by 247,000 vehicles. In September, Honda issued a small vehicle recall covering 63,200 vehicles with Takata airbags, expanding on a previous recall from June – a month in which Mazda, Toyota, and Nissan also recalled cars because they had Takata airbags.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury and Vehicle Recalls

If an airbag defect in your vehicle caused a car accident, you may not know immediately what recourse you have. Although the law is complicated, you do have legal recourse against the vehicle’s manufacturer. It is important for manufacturers to pay attention to the quality of their products and issue vehicle recall notices in a timely fashion – however, not all automobile manufacturers will do so, and consumers can be seriously injured or killed.

If you have experienced a problem with a defective product in your automobile, especially if a defective part has led to an auto accident or personal injury, and a proper vehicle recall notice has not been issued, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We can help you with complicated auto insurance claims, and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve to help you with lost income and medical bills. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in South Carolina, Georgia, and New York. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so contact us today at (803) 252-4800.