The public has faced a controversy surrounding this Takata Airbag recall. It’s the biggest recall for safety of consumers that has ever occurred in U.S. Despite the huge issues and the large-scale recalls, Takata has been unable to admit the flaws in its airbags. Takata is now willing to settle huge penalties for its non- cooperating with the investigation. The exact amount will be determined in the near future. The year 2008 saw Takata altered the fuel of their airbags to avoid the degrading effects of moisture. Then, it was found that the bags were susceptible to break when exposed to extreme humidity and heat.
Due to this issue, recalls in the case of Takata airbags has grown. The most recent news is that Honda has added 21 million additional vehicles on the list of cars affected in this global Takata recall. This puts the total of Takata airbag recalls to be 51 million across the globe. It isn’t exactly the number of Honda cars have had to be affected across the U.S. The exact number of Honda vehicles still affected by the recall is unknown according to The New York Times.
It’s not clear why the airbags were pulled and it’s believed that the reason for the issue was the use of a chemical known as ammonium nitrite. It is unstable and degrades during warmer temperatures. This is particularly true in humid areas of the country. It is the U.S. government has stepped into the process to initiate the recall as well as the manufacturer has accepted to pay up to $70 million for failing divulge the problem. The penalty could be increased to $130 million in the event that the company is in breach of its agreement to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As the world’s biggest automaker, FCA has also expanded the recall by requiring the replacement of 196,975 vehicles airbag inflators made by Takata. The affected models include the C-class, E-class coupe, as well as those with the model year 2014 SLS AMG. The recall is likely to last until the inflators are repaired. However, for the time being the public is urged to act and refrain from buying vehicles that have been removed due to an issue with the Takata airbag.
The issue was first discovered after the VW recall was announced in 1995. Volkswagen immediately recall 106,806 of its vehicles due to defective airbags. The NHTSA completed an extensive nine-month probe to determine if abuse by users was the reason for the malfunctioning seat belts. In the meantime, NHTSA has issued recalls for hundreds of thousands of automobiles, which includes the majority of Volkswagen models. The issue is due to how the airbags were constructed. the ABS-plastic buckles in contact with UV light, which caused bristles. The release button was able to become jammed.
A recall of recent times has been requested through the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who have been able to link 11 deaths across the globe because of defective Takata airbags. The recall will also be affecting Honda Civic and other cars produced by Takata. A public relations campaign for free was announced from Honda to remind car owners to check their airbags to see if there are open recalls. Takata is waiting for the results on the recall. If you’re looking to purchase an Honda or Mercedes-Benz car it is possible to determine whether it’s been directly affected as a result of the Takata recall.