Four New Automobile Companies Contribute to Takata Airbag Settlement

General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, and Toyota are just several of a group of automotive companies agreeing to take part in a Takata airbag settlement.

The Takata airbag settlement will be distributed to consumers who may have been impacted by the company’s faulty airbag components, with participants including those who experienced exploding airbags or airbags that failed to deploy.

The 13 car companies contributing to the Takata airbag settlement have already submitted as much as $130 million, which will help consumers with medical bills most likely incurred from exploding airbags.

Consumers who have been impacted by the Takata airbag recall may be eligible to participate. A full list of affected vehicles is available on our Takata airbag investigation page. Vehicles impacted by the Takata airbag recall include, but are not limited to:

• 2007-2014 Cadillac Escalade ESV
• 2007-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT
• 2007-2010 Ford Edge
• 2006-2012 Ford Fusion
• 2005-2006 Ford GT
• 2005-2014 Ford Mustang
• 2004-2011 Ford Ranger
• 2008-2015 Scion XB
• 2010-2016 Toyota 4Runner
• 2003-2013 Toyota Corolla
• 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris (Hatch Back)
• 2007-2012 Toyota Yaris (Sedan)

Owners whose vehicles are on the recall list or who have already experienced problems from the alleged defective airbags may benefit from speaking to a lawyer to determine eligibility to participate in the Takata airbag settlement.

An airbag lawsuit investigation is now seeking vehicle owners who may have a legal claim. It is important to note that this investigation applies to people who were either injured by Takata airbags suddenly deploying or during an accident when the airbag did not deploy at all.

Overview of Takata Airbag Problems

The Takata airbag recall was expanded in January 2018, when 3.3 million new vehicles were added to the list of 34 million cars recalled from the market. Each of the cars may contain allegedly defective airbags which can explode unexpectedly or not deploy at all.

At least 20 deaths and over 180 injuries have been linked to Takata airbag problems with the company reporting that the front airbags can explode and cause serious injury to the driver and passengers.

The problems with Takata airbags stem from the airbag’s inflator, which contains a metal cartridge loaded with propellant. This propellant is made of ammonium nitrate, which is often used in bomb-making. Takata utilized it to inflate airbags at the right force when triggered.

However, the airbags have been exploding with too much force, potentially sending metal shrapnel flying throughout the car. The defective airbags do not have sufficient drying agent, which limits the amount of force used during airbag deployment.

Furthermore, the airbag propellent degrades over time and may be more likely to explode or fail to deploy under high heat and humidity. Even though this problem can be potentially fatal for customers, Takata allegedly failed to warn the public against this problem for years.

In light of Toyota, GM, Ford, and Volkswagen’s participation in the Takata airbag settlement, Takata can now sell their subsidiary Key Safety Systems for $1.6 billion. This money will be used to provide the necessary car parts to the automobile companies, which has helped alleviate the public backlash Takata has received.

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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