The recall of Takata airbags has grown to cover nearly 34 million automobiles in U.S., with the company revealing a significant number of vehicles as defective. Particularly, the airbags on the drivers’ seat of some Toyota models as well as some Pontiac Vibe and Honda Accord models are affected. The issue extends far beyond United States. The recall covers automobiles across the world as the total number of vehicles affected has increased to the number of 67 million. Therefore, it’s imperative that owners of cars make the appropriate precautions.
The new recall will further expand the efforts of the company to inform customers on the dangers of Takata airbags and will include large-scale regional ads. The campaign will include the red “Urgent Airbag Recall Notice” banner advertisements on the company’s website , and will target regions with high humidity. In addition the company will launch direct mail campaigns targeting around 85 percent of U.S. market.
It is believed that the Takata airbag recall currently affects millions of vehicles across the United States, including several million Ford Rangers and a recent accident that involved the Honda vehicle. Despite the widespread impact of the recall however, the company hasn’t yet stopped manufacturing affected vehicles. In the end, most car owners will have to wait for two years or more before they’ll be informed that their airbags have a defect.
In the wake of the recall as a result of the recall, it has been discovered that the Takata Airbag is responsible for at least nine deaths. Since the recall started, Takata engineers have been looking for a solution to the issue. But, despite the numerous issues with the inflators executives have instructed the engineers to destroy all evidence they have collected about the malfunction of their products. In the end, it was to stop this company from affecting the lives of the consumers.
The Takata Airbag recall was initially announced in 2013, and was later expanded to include another 11 million vehicles. Airbag inflators that are defective have been causing numerous fatalities as well as serious injury. The NHTSA has granted Takata until the year 2019 to prove that the inflatable airbags that are not recalled have been tested and are safe for use. The recall is among the biggest ever in the history of the automotive industry and is deemed the biggest ever.
The recall was caused by an issue with the inflators on the side that is used by drivers of Takata airbags. Inflators aren’t sealed correctly, which allows them to break during a crash. However the airbags that are not fully inflated do not safeguard the driver. Instead, they release metal and plastic shrapnel which could cause injuries to passengers and the driver. When this occurs, the vehicle owner won’t get the treatment needed promptly.
The recall is spreading to Honda and will increase the number of affected vehicles by 21 million to the total number. It is estimated that 51 million vehicles are affected and it’s unclear the exact number of affected cars are located in the United States. Meanwhile, the maker of the airbags has been forced to cease sales of the vehicles and to change the airbag inflators. The New York Times cites Honda vice president Tetsuo Iwamura saying that Honda has been notified of the issue, but not sure of the precise number.