If you keep up with auto industry or national news at all, you’ve likely heard about Takata airbags. Throughout the last year, there have been numerous cases of defective or faulty airbags made by the Japanese auto parts manufacturer, Takata. One of the world’s largest airbag manufacturers, Takata has admitted that some inflators within the airbags can rupture and explode with monumental force, spraying metal shrapnel at vehicle occupants. At present moment, upwards of 29 million vehicles have been recalled so far in the U.S. alone. However, auto safety regulators announced earlier this month that they are considering recalling an additional 70 million to 90 million Takata airbag inflators due to concerns that they too may malfunction. If that happens, it would quadruple the current count.
Since concerns were first raised by officials, defective Takata airbags have been linked to 9 deaths in the U.S. Over the last decade, many major auto manufacturers have issued Takata airbag recalls, including Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, BMW, Ford, and many more. Just recently Honda announced they were recalling an additional 2.2 million vehicles for fear they housed the faulty Takata inflator.
Takata Recalls
Takata first announced the defective airbag inflator in April 2013, listing just six makes that were affected. However, Toyota issued a recall of 844,000 U.S. cars for shrapnel-shooting airbags just two months later in June, raising concerns throughout the auto industry. As the months went by, more and more automakers were prompted to issue identical recalls. In June of 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced additional regional recalls in high-humidity states, including Florida and Hawaii. Fast forward to October when another major recall was announced across several auto brands.
Then, in November 2014, The New York Times published a report claiming that Takata knew about the airbag issues since 2004. Even going as far as to conduct secret tests outside of work hours in order to verify the problem. Over the next two years, more automakers came forward with recalls at an alarming rate. In February 2016 alone, Mazda, Honda, Volkswagen, General Motors, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, and Mercedes recalled millions of makes and models. The suggestion that Takata withheld test results proving the airbag defect was once again revisited in mid-February 2016. On February 23, 2016, a group of 10 carmakers known as the Independent Testing Coalition hired an outside company to conduct its own tests in order to determine whether or not certain cars carried the faulty Takata airbags.
As you can see, the Takata airbag case is a complicated one that is showing no signs of slowing down. With more than 130 reported injuries and nearly 10 deaths tied to the defective inflators, we expect to see more automakers step forward with recalls. If you or a loved one has been injured by a faulty Takata airbag, contact Wormington & Bollinger today to discuss your case.