AutoNation Ceases Sales Of Used Models Affected By Takata Recall

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Automotive retailer AutoNation is pulling used vehicles off the lot that may be affected by the ongoing Takata airbag recall.

Automotive News reports 400 vehicles will be pulled until their airbag units — which could violently scatter metal shrapnel through the entire cabin upon detonation in a climate with high humidity — are replaced.

CEO Mike Jackson, meanwhile, called upon all automakers to act as one in deciding how best to handle the issue, citing conflicting guidance from the latter, ranging from telling drivers not to allow passengers to ride shotgun, to not worrying about the possibility due to its alleged rarity:

There should be some entity that says to the industry: “Look, every individual manufacturer doesn’t get to make a decision here. This is what we are going to do.” And you would say maybe that’s NHTSA but NHTSA has been a Tower of Babel.

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • ClutchCarGo ClutchCarGo on Oct 29, 2014

    Something just occurred to me, what is going to be done with the defective units as they are pulled out? Can a repair shop defuse these things for safe storage and disposal? Do they need to place them in hardened containers until the bomb squad shows up?

    • Eamiller Eamiller on Oct 29, 2014

      They are going to be sent back and then test deployed. They will probably install a resistive shunt in the connector to keep any ESD from setting off the squib.

  • DeadWeight DeadWeight on Oct 29, 2014

    My comment won't post, but I'll try once more: Some automakers are going so far to avoid having to recall vehicles with these affected airbags as to have their service departments deactivate both driver and passenger airbags. It's a really crazy situation. I think something close to 48 million vehicles are affected globally. The next biggest supplier of airbags has 10% of the market share and production capacity of Takata, and again, these airbags are not backwards compatible, so it's not as if any airbag can be used to replace a defective one (even a new Takata one can't necessarily be used for this purpose).

  • Petezeiss Petezeiss on Oct 29, 2014

    A few Takata officials need to publicly apologize (tearfully!) and step down into some reverse-amakudari jobs. Then everything will be OK.

    • See 1 previous
    • Petezeiss Petezeiss on Oct 29, 2014

      @DeadWeight Mainly because those Western execs probably wouldn't have been with the company 12-14 years ago.

  • Firestorm 500 Firestorm 500 on Oct 29, 2014

    My climate here in land-locked Arkansas is hotter than the Gulf Coast states, and at least as humid if not more so. I've got an '02 Accord that I'm driving from the back seat until this blows over. Just kidding. My car was called in by Honda about 1 1/2 years ago and checked by the dealer. This was for the driver's side airbag. They took it out and checked the number on the back of the module. It was not one of them. Took them about 20 minutes. Remember, this recall is not new.

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