6M Chrysler owners certified in multidistrict legislation over exploding Takata air bags

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Chrysler Takata air bags MDL overview: 

• Who: A Florida federal judge has certified a class of nearly 6 million Fiat Chrysler vehicle owners as part of a sprawling multidistrict litigation over claims revolving around exploding Takata air bags. 
• Why: The FCA vehicle owners argue the automaker hid the risks that came with owning a vehicle equipped with Takata air bags. 
• Where: The MDL is taking place in a Florida federal court.

A federal judge in Florida has certified a class of almost 6 million Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) vehicle owners who claim the automaker committed fraud, as part of a sprawling multidistrict litigation over an alleged defect related to exploding Takata air bags. 

The class of FCA vehicle owners — which come from a total of 11 states, along with the District of Columbia — claim the automaker hid from consumers the risks that accompanied owning a vehicle equipped with Takata air bags.

FCA is accused of committing common law fraud.

The judge, meanwhile, rejected an argument by the automaker that individualized issues with the Takata air bags would overcome a class certification, given what it knew about the air bags allegedly changed during the class period. 

The class includes individuals who purchased their FCA vehicle after June 10, 2009, and who reside in North Carolina, Colorado, Tennessee, Delaware, Rhode Island, George, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. 

“FCA’s argument regarding the non-uniformity of its knowledge is unavailing because plaintiffs have sufficiently shown that FCA knew about the dangers of using ammonium nitrate in air bags since the early 1990s,” the judge said in his order. 

FCA engineers had voiced concerns about Takata air bag integrity before class vehicles being sold, judge says

The judge also cited the fact that FCA engineers had voiced concerns about the integrity of the Takata ammonium nitrate-based air bags, prior to any of the class vehicles being sold. 

Takata has been accused of using cheap and volatile aluminum nitrate to inflate their air bags, causing them to misfire and shoot chemicals and metal fragments into the cabin of passenger vehicles when deployed. 

The air bags were ultimately subject to a global recall — including the largest auto recall in the history of the U.S. — and have currently been linked to a total of 25 deaths and 400 injuries in the country, Law360 reports. 

Last year, the judge declined to dismiss several complaints brought by Florida vehicle owners who were involved in the multidistrict litigation revolving around the Takata air bags. 

Have you purchased or leased a vehicle equipped with Takata air bags? Let us know in the comments! 

The Chrysler Takata air bags defect MDL is In re: Takata Airbag Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 1:15-md-02599, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

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