Exploding Airbags – The Massive Takata Airbag Recall

02 Oct Exploding Airbags – The Massive Takata Airbag Recall

Right in the middle of a massive recall by General Motors due to an ignition switch defect, we now learn there is a safety problem that is not only more widespread but quite possibly more dangerous.

Leading Up to the Recall

This latest manufacturing problem involves the recall of over 10 million cars that have airbags manufactured by Takata, a Japanese parts supplier. These airbags are potentially dangerous because they can explode and either injure or kill any of the occupants in the vehicle. These defective airbags are not exclusive to General Motors but have been installed into a variety of different Japanese, American, and German-made cars. The installation occurred for quite a few years.

The strange thing to remember about the Takata air bag recall is that the problem was not a single recall; it has actually been ongoing for quite a number of years. In April of last year there were 3.6 million cars recalledwith approximately 10 million recalled over the previous five years. The recalled included BMWs, Nissans, Hondas, and other makes.

Recent Media Coverage

One of the reasons this problem has been gaining attention recently is because of an investigation the New York Times conducted. According to the investigation, both Takata and Honda were aware of the problem for many years but only started a vehicle recall in 2008.

There are many different cars affected by this recall which makes it very difficult to determine if your vehicle was included in the recall. In order to gather the most information possible, consumers need to visit the National Highway Safety Administration website and enter their car's VIN. Some of the cars that are affected by these faulty airbags include:

• BMW 3-Series models from the mid-2000s.
• Some Ford Mustangs and Rangers from the mid-2000s.
• Subaru Bajas, Legacies, and Imprezas from the mid-2000s.
• Toyota Tundras, Corollas, and Sequoias from the early 2000s.
• Nissan Maximas, Sentras, and Pathfinders from the early 2000s.
• Various Infinitis.
• Mazdas and RX-8s from the earlier 2000s.
• Almost all Honda and Acura models manufactured in the 2000s.
• Accords, Civics, CR-Vs, and MDXs manufactured in the 2000s.

The biggest customer for Takata is Honda, and that means this recall has had a huge impact on them in particular.

Resulting Problems

According to the Times a total of 139 injuries have resulted from these airbags exploding so far, with at least two deaths just in Hondas. The deaths resulted from shrapnel tearing through the bodies of the victims after the airbag deployed. One death was an 18-year-old who bumped another car and the airbag unnecessarily deploying; this caused shrapnel to enter her neck which resulted in her bleeding to death. The other death was a 33-year-old who hit a mail truck and also bled to death after being hit with shrapnel.

This begs the question about why the Takata airbags have this product liability problem. They were apparently developed in the late 1990s with the intention of reducing the amount of toxic fumes that were present in early airbags. Unfortunately, Takata had some early quality issues with the manufacture of these airbags although the company reported the issues have now been resolved in their current design.

If you have been injured as a result of the deployment of a defective airbag, consult with one of our product liability lawyers in Texas by filling out the form on this page, or calling our office at 1-877-659-1620.