Was Your Vehicle Affected by the Takata Recall?

A Takata recall issued over dangerous and even life-threatening defects has affected millions of vehicles from several major automakers, including General Motors. General Motors recently asked the U.S. Government for permission to avoid the Takata recall. This is the third time the major car manufacturer has made this request, arguing that the Takata airbags installed in its vehicles were actually custom-made, and different than the rest of the airbags affected by the Takata recall.

Our investigation page has a full list of the dozens of makes and models of vehicles affected by the Takata recall. If you have been injured because of a vehicle included in the Takata recall, you may be able to file an airbag malfunction lawsuit.

GM’s Petitions to Avoid the Takata Recall

Over the last three years, General Motors has petitioned three separate times to be excluded from the Takata recall over a dangerous airbag malfunction. The Takata recall could affect up to 6.8 million pickup trucks and SUVs from model years between 2007 and 2011.

GM argues that the airbags used in its trucks were custom made by Takata and do not come with the same dangers as the others affected by the Takata recall. Its custom-made airbags, the company claims, have bigger vents, as well as stronger steel end caps, making them safe from the alleged defects.

The company has a lot to lose if its petition is denied. According to GM, while it hasn’t set money aside for the recalls, they may have to pay an estimated $1 billion and recall millions of vehicles.

Takata Airbag Defects

The Takata airbag system has a particularly dangerous defect: over time, the device can degrade and eventually explode. The defect causes the airbags to inflate with much more force than they should, which leads to explosions so strong that the metal cartridge inside ruptures, flinging metal shrapnel throughout the vehicle. Consumers have also reported Takata airbags that fail to deploy when they should.

The Takata Recall

The Takata airbag recall adds another 3.3 million makes and models with defective devices to the previous 34 million already recalled. According to reports, some automakers have both failed to inform customers about the airbag defect but also failed to assist vehicle owners with the effects of the recall.

Filing a Lawsuit After the Takata Recall

A growing number of consumers who own vehicles affected by the Takata recall are choosing to file lawsuits against the vehicle manufacturer, as well as Takata, the airbag manufacturer. Lawsuits allege that car manufacturers were aware of the Takata exploding airbag defect for a significant period of time before issuing a recall or warning of the risk. Takata has been hit with so many lawsuits and fines that it is soon expected to file for bankruptcy.

Filing an airbag malfunction lawsuit over either the exploding airbag defect or failure to deploy cannot take away any pain and suffering caused in an accident or any property damage done to your car, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and repair work.

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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