Cities and Auto Manufacturers Collaborate for Airbag Recall Outreach Program

Nearly 180 vehicle makes and models are affected by the Takata airbag issue under an expanded airbag recall outreach program. See the full list of affected vehicles here.

On Jan. 8, 2018, airbag manufacturer Takata announced it an expanded airbag recall outreach program, increasing a previous recall of approximately 34 million vehicles to include 3.3 million new makes and models that contain defective airbags that degrade over time and can explode, causing serious — even deadly — injuries.  In some cases, these airbags failed to deploy at all.

At least 20 deaths and more than 180 injuries have been linked to defective Takata airbags.

Overview: Takata Airbag Recall 

Over 37 million vehicles made by dozens of automakers are under recall due to potentially deadly defects linked to its airbags.

According to the expanded airbag recall outreach program, the front airbags can explode and can injure both driver and the front passenger. Such airbag explosions have reportedly killed both the driver and the passenger in addition to other horrific injuries.

Some vehicle owners have also experienced airbags that failed to deploy, also leading to serious injuries.

Regulators have linked the problem to the airbag inflator, which consists of a metal cartridge that is loaded with propellant. The inflator is designed to inflate rapidly when activated. However, the defective Takata airbags explode with such force that the metal cartridge that holds the propellant ruptures and sends metal shrapnel flying through the vehicle. The airbag ends up acting more like a hand grenade than a life-saving device.

The propellant used in Takata airbags in made with ammonium nitrate, which is a chemical also used in bomb making. In normal circumstances, the explosive included in airbags should be just enough to deploy the airbag.

According to regulators, the airbags don’t have enough of a necessary drying agent, which is supposed to allow the airbags to deploy with the right amount of force. The Takata airbags deploy with too much force.

The airbag defect is reportedly made worse by high heat and humidity because experts believe that those two dynamics cause the propellant to degrade.

Delayed Response Leads to Expanded Airbag Recall Outreach Program

The question for vehicle owners and lessees is why the automakers didn’t recall its vehicles sooner? Other automakers have been more proactive and have been working to help to resolve the problem for its customers in various ways by offering replacement or loaner vehicles until the airbags are replaced. 

But other automakers have reportedly failed to not only inform their customers of the problem in a timely manner, but they also allegedly lacked the necessary parts to repair the vehicles, and they have not helped vehicle owners with the costs related to the recall.

Because of the life-threatening danger linked to vehicles with defective Takata airbags, such vehicles are not safe to drive until the airbags are fixed. And obtaining an alternate form of transportation until then can get expensive. But not all automakers have programs set up to help its customers with alternate transportation.

Were You Affected by the Takata Airbag Defect?

The Takata airbag recall affects over 37 million vehicles sold or leased under dozens of different brands, including:

• Acura
• Audi
• BMW
• Cadillac
• Chevrolet
• Chrysler
• Daimler
• Sprinter
• Sterling Bullet
• Ferrari
• Dodge/Ram
• Fisker
• Ford
• GMC
• Honda
• Infiniti
• Jaguar
• Jeep
• Land Rover
• Lexus
• Lincoln
• Mazda
• McLaren
• Mercedes-Benz
• Mercury
• Mitsubishi
• Nissan
• Pontiac
• Saab
• Saturn
• Scion
• Subaru
• Tesla
• Toyota
• Volkswagen

If you have owned or leased a vehicle under any of the brands above, you may qualify to file your own airbag lawsuit or Takata class action lawsuit.
You can find a full list of makes, models and model years on our Defective Airbag Recall Investigation Page.

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