Nearly 6 million General Motors vehicles with defective Takata airbag inflators are being recalled, the latest step in a massive product failure that is far from resolved.
Other manufacturers are likely to add to the list of 63 million recalled airbags. And with used car dealers still selling vehicles with the recalled airbags, the injuries continue as well.
A driver in Mesa, Ariz., for instance, died after an Aug. 20 crash in a Honda Civic after the airbag ruptured. The now-bankrupt Takata sold the faulty equipment to many car makers. The ammonium-nitrate based propellant in the airbags can deteriorate over time or because of heat and humidity, causing the bags to send shrapnel-like fragments throughout the car when the airbags deploy, such as after a crash.
GM resisted the latest recall for four years, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration turned back the carmaker’s argument that the cars were not a risk—and on Nov. 20 gave GM 30 days to come up with a plan to notify vehicle owners and replace the inflators.
The new recall covers SUVs and pickups from model years 2007-2014.
And many cars that already have been recalled still do not have safer replacement parts installed yet. In the August Arizona crash, Honda claims it sent 15 letters to the owner about the recall. and had left a notice on the owner’s door. The driver who died was not the registered owner.
If you have questions about this topic or need assistance filing an airbag claim, Newsome Law, P.A. can help. Contact us at 1-888-380-2809.