Millions of Takata Airbags Still Need to Be Replaced

March 13, 2023

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) previously called the Takata airbags recall “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.” And unfortunately, even years after the first recalls of these defective products began, at the end of 2022, 11 million were still yet to be replaced.

Takata Airbags: Some Products Still Not Replaced

In February 2023, Honda issued a “Do Not Drive” warning for some 2001-2003 Honda Accord, Civic, CR-V, Odyssey, and Pilot models Acura TL and CL cars fitted with unrepaired Takata Alpha driver-side airbag inflators, according to Consumer Reports.

In a series of announcements over several years, the Takata airbags recall has expanded to include 67 million airbags from more than 42 million vehicles in the United States.

In addition to the Honda recall, Volkswagen recalled an additional 37,558 Beetle coupes and convertibles from the 2015 through 2016 model years to replace potentially dangerous Takata driver-side airbags in December 2022. It was just the latest in a line of recall announcements from 2022.

Millions of Airbags Recalled

Takata has recalled millions of airbags since 2008 in a move that involves many makes and models of vehicles throughout the U.S.

The airbags were installed in cars mostly from model years 2002 through 2015. Some of the airbags could deploy explosively and potentially injure or kill car occupants.

Unfortunately, as of early February 2023, there have been 24 deaths and more than 400 injuries as a result of problems with Takata airbags in the U.S., according to the NHTSA.

What’s Wrong with Takata Airbags?

Some of the airbags in question have the potential to combust in an aggressive manner, which can shatter the airbag inflator housing. When the airbag deploys, shards of metal from the housing are forced out at significant speed, leading to terrible injuries or even death.

Previously, the NHTSA found that a “combination of time, temperature fluctuations, and humidity contribute to the breakdown of the PSAN propellant in the inflators. This breakdown can cause the propellant to burn too quickly, which creates more pressure than the inflator can withstand. In extreme cases, this causes the inflator to explode and send shrapnel through the airbag toward vehicle occupants.”

Call Phillips Law Group

If you’re concerned your car might be part of the recall, please use the NHTSA’s VIN lookup tool to check your particular vehicle without delay. The tool covers safety recalls conducted over the past 15 calendar years.

If your vehicle is one of those with a defective airbag, or if you were injured in a car accident that may have been caused by defective Takata airbags, the personal injury attorneys in Phoenix at Phillips Law Group can help you get the justice you deserve.

Contact us today for a free consultation. You are under no obligation to hire us should you move forward with legal action, but if we determine you have an eligible claim, we would be honored to represent you. Give us a call and see how Arizona’s law firm can help you!