On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a press release urging drivers of 4.7 million recalled vehicles to have their defective air bags replaced immediately, an unusual alert that follows up on several recalls announced earlier in 2014.
According to The New York Times, Takata, an automotive parts maker based in Japan, said that the propellant in some of its air bags is defective. While propellant typically burns quickly and produces gas to inflate air bags, the manufacturer said that the propellant in certain air bags is too strong and may rupture its container. This could potentially cause metal particles to shoot out at the driver or other front-seat passengers. The defective airbags have reportedly caused injuries, such as burns from explosions and cuts from shrapnel, and have even been linked to two deaths, the Times reported.
The consumer advisory alert said that drivers of certain Honda, Toyota, BMW, Nissan, GM and Mazda vehicles should “act immediately” to have the recalled air bags replaced. The Administration said that the message was especially urgent for drivers in states with humid climates, including Florida and Hawaii, as Takata believes that the problem is more likely to occur in places with high humidity, the Times reported.
Also on Monday, Toyota expanded its previous recall over these air bags to include an additional 247,000 vehicles. According to the notice, Takata provided Toyota with data indicating that some of its air bags performed improperly during testing, and the manufacturer is currently investigating the effects of humidity on the recalled air bags. Under the recall, Toyota dealers will replace the passenger airbag inflators in affected vehicles for free.
The 4.7 million vehicles affected by the regional recalls include:
- Honda: 2.8 million vehicles potentially affected
- 2001 to 2007 Honda Accord (4 cyl)
- 2001 to 2002 Honda Accord (6 cyl)
- 2001 to 2005 Honda Civic
- 2002 to 2006 Honda CR-V
- 2003 to 2011 Honda Element
- 2002 to 2004 Honda Odyssey
- 2003 to 2007 Honda Pilot
- 2006 Honda Ridgeline
- 2003 to 2006 Acura MDX
- 2002 to 2003 Acura TL/CL
- Toyota: 780,000 vehicles potentially affected
- 2002 to 2004 Lexus SC
- 2003 to 2004 Toyota Corolla
- 2003 to 2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix
- 2002 to 2004 Toyota Sequoia
- 2003 to 2004 Toyota Tundra
- 2003 to 2004 Pontiac Vibe
- BMW: 580,000 vehicles potentially affected
- 2000 to 2005 3 Series Sedan
- 2000 to 2006 3 Series Coupe
- 2000 to 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon
- 2000 to 2006 3 Series Convertible
- 2001 to 2006 M3 Coupe
- 2001 to 2006 M3 Convertible
- Nissan: 440,000 vehicles potentially affected
- 2001 to 2003 Nissan Maxima
- 2001 to 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
- 2002 to 2003 Nissan Sentra
- 2001 to 2003 Infinity I30/I35
- 2002 to 2003 Infiniti QX4
- 2003 Infinity FX
- General Motors: 133,000 vehicles potentially affected
- 2002 to 2003 Buick LeSabre
- 2002 to 2003 Buick Rendezvous
- 2002 to 2003 Cadillac DeVille
- 2002 to 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer
- 2002 to 2003 Chevrolet Impala
- 2002 to 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
- 2002 to 2003 Chevrolet Venture
- 2002 to 2003 GMC Envoy
- 2002 to 2003 GMC Envoy XL
- 2002 to 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora
- 2002 to 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada
- 2002 to 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette
- 2002 to 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
- 2002 to 2003 Pontiac Montana
- Mazda: 18,000 vehicles potentially affected
- 2003 to 2004 Mazda6
- 2004 Mazda RX-8
Drivers who are unsure whether their vehicles may be included in the Takata air bag recall can use the NHTSA’s new VIN lookup service to see whether their vehicles may be subject to this or any other recall. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective air bag, contact us today to find out how we can help.
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