NHTSA Ready To Force Nationwide Takata Airbag Recall
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is ready to force Takata and three of its clients into a nationwide recall over the catastrophic failure of the supplier’s airbags.
The Detroit News reports the agency will bring Ford, FCA US and BMW to court if necessary, compelling the automakers to recall 5 million affected vehicles in addition to those already recalled.
The first act in bringing the named parties to trial will be a formal demand letter issued to all concerned. Upon refusal, the NHTSA will file a suit against each party in U.S. District Court, a process that could last for months, if not years.
The die was cast when Takata rebuffed the agency’s request earlier this month to expand its recall efforts beyond high-humidity locations in warm climates around the United States, including Florida and Hawaii.
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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The recall is now for about 8 million cars, if I remember correctly. The number of people killed is either 3 or 4, sources differ. So, if the numbers are correct, one person has died for each two million cars in the recall. What is the time frame for this atrocity? Ten years? If you drive one of these "killer cars" your chance of death is one out of two million, over the next ten years. I am at a loss over the outrage here. There are many more dangerous things around. Another thing, how long should your liability last after you sell a vehicle? Is it like a copyright, that lasts for your life, plus 75 years. Is all of this being driven by ambulance chasing lawyers? I live outside the US, where lawyers are thought of as decent people. Of course, lawyers here work in something other than personal injury law. There is no such thing as personal injury law here. Auto insurance is about $300.00 per year. Health care is one third as expensive as in the US. And people are not living in fear from idiot lawyers drumming up panic over miniscule death rates. I do know that any deaths are too many, but we will never get to the point that no one will ever be killed in an accident. How much will we have to pay trying to reach that impossible goal?
So say we one, so say we all? Meh. Personally, I'd almost rather see more Baruth articles than this Takata stuff.
Not getting shot in the face with shrapnel... yawn. Getting the "SRS" warning light I've been ignoring for months in my '02 RSX potentially cleared for free at an Acura dealer? Awesome! (And yes, I realize the warning light has nothing to do with the claymore aimed at my pie-hole, but I'm hoping the direction to dealers will simply be to fix and restore the system, period.)
The NHTSA can order Takata to recall all the air bags, but can Takata get it done? It's not like Takata or any other part supplier in a mature manufacturing business has inventory sitting around, lots of excess manufacturing capacity, or piles of cash. Competition beats inefficiency out of suppliers.