Takata Expands US Airbag Recall Nationwide, Covering 34M Units
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Tuesday Takata would expand its airbag recall to cover 33.8 million units in the United States.
The expanded recall is now one of the largest recalls in U.S. history, USA Today reports. Additionally, the supplier is under a consent order by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to cooperate with the agency in its investigation into the recall. The NHTSA also declared it would begin the process to sort and organize the replacement schedule of the defective airbags.
The expansion comes after Takata issued a regional recall last summer affecting units in vehicles located in humid locales in the U.S. The units were prone to catastrophic failure upon detonation, scattering shrapnel into the cabin and injuring or killing the occupants inside. Six fatalities have been linked thus far, with five occurring in the U.S.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx praised the agreement made between the supplier and his department, declaring it “a major step forward for public safety.” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind agreed with the assessment, adding all parties involved had more work ahead of them to remedy the issue as quickly as possible.
[Photo credit: Takata]
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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OUCH!!!
Why is it so hard to find out which models are affected? I understand it takes time to get all the VIN numbers, buy why not issue a list of the models being added?
I was in an accident three weeks ago in a vehicle that was not covered by the original recall. Something cut my daughter's head in the back seat and nobody could figure out what. I told the paramedics something flew out when the airbag came out and that the airbag deployed but never inflated...I was told that it probably inflated I just didn't realize it and that they didn't think anything had come out with the airbag...this article describes exactly what happened to us! Thank God we weren't injured worse! Who can I contact or who do I need to contact?
When it comes to enhancing automotive safety, tossing in explosive devices never seemed reasonable to me. Now we're finding out that explosives don't necessarily make cars safer... or Independence Day either, for that matter. Explosives can add a bit of zip to a cocktail or a tossed salad though.