After the biggest recall ever, 6.4 million cars on US roads still have deadly Takata airbags
Notorious people Takata airbag—the ones with accelerators that can send shrapnel flying toward the faces of people sitting in front of them—remain the same big problem on America’s roads. Worse still, some of the wettest and most dangerous states are home to nearly half of all vehicles that are out of repair.
Just as a reminder: a decade ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a staggering recall of 67 million vehicles due to defective airbag inflators. When the recall was first issued, regulators realized there was no way to replace that many airbags in a timely manner. Production-wise and time-wise, it didn’t make sense. So for the past decade, airbags have continued to kill. In 2022, At least five people have died from defective airbags.. NHTSA said at least 27 Americans has been killed, even though the problem is worldwide. New data from XeFax shows how widespread this problem continues to be in the US:
Ten years later the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) authority According to CARFAX data, after a nationwide recall of Takata airbags because of the risk of causing bodily harm – or even death – to vehicle occupants, more than 6.4 million vehicles in the US are still equipped with these airbags. That air bag.
More than 2.5 million – about 40% of all these non-stationary vehicles – are located in the states. NHTSA called Zone A. These states are “at highest risk for safety” due to high temperatures and humidity. They are Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas.
The states with the highest concentrations of Takata airbags—like Texas and California—are also the ones where airbags pose the highest risk of causing serious injuries due to the airbags’ flaws, from Consumer Reports:
The core problem lies in the airbag inflator, a metal box filled with propellant plates that in some cases has caught fire with explosive force. If the inflator housing ruptures in a crash, metal fragments from the airbag can be sprayed throughout the passenger compartment—a potentially catastrophic outcome from a device that is supposed to save lives.
NHTSA has identified the root cause of the problem: airbags use an ammonium nitrate-based propellant without a chemical desiccant. As stated at the outset, environmental humidity, high temperatures and age are associated with defects that can improperly inflate airbags and even shoot shrapnel into vehicle occupants.
If your vehicle is affected by the Takata airbag recall you may have been contacted in some way, but it’s harder if you bought a used vehicle in the last 10 years to know for sure. Nineteen automakers are involved in the recall, but some vehicles are at higher risk of fatal airbag deployment than others. NHTSA has issued a Do Not Drive order for the following vehicles:
Acura
- 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL
- 2003 Acura 3.2 CL
BMW car
- Some 2000-2006 BMW 3 Series (E46) models including the M3
- Some 2000-2003 BMW 5 Series (E39) models including the M5
- Some BMW X5s (E53) 2000-2004 models
Chrysler
avoid
- Dodge Magnum 2005-2010
- Dodge Charger 2005-2010
- Dodge Challenger 2005-2010
- 2003 Dodge Ram 1500
Ford
- Some 2006 Ford Ranger models
Honda’s motobike
- Honda Accord 2001-2002
- Honda Civic 2001-2002
- Honda CR-V 2002
- Honda Odyssey 2002
- Honda Pilot 2003
Mazda
- Some Mazda B-Series 2006 models
You can always enter VIN in NHTSA’s “Open Recall” tool to check to see if your vehicle is part of a recall, including the Takata airbag recall. Such airbags (and any other repairs) will be repaired free of charge by your local dealer, but there may be a long wait for parts. Ford issued a recall earlier this year to Check out some sloppy handiwork was made to fix recalled Takata airbags in nearly 250,000 vehicles.
