Takata Airbags Continue Their Recall

6 years ago

We’ve previously recorded an entry into the ongoing Takata Airbags Recall Saga detailing the how’s and why’s. This time around, we’re going to over those affected. In case you didn’t know, however, we’ll be briefly summing up the issue. Takata Airbags have an issue where the word “hazardous” only begins to describe it. The airbags have an issue with their inflators that makes them into a type of frag grenade when used. Basically, when the airbag expands to protect the passengers of the vehicle it’s housed it, it instead causes harm. It sends shrapnel flying into drivers and passengers. At least 23 people have been killed worldwide by this defective product, and hundreds more have been injured. The scary thing is that these airbags aren’t just used in specific car brands but in multiple different ones.

On February 8th, the United States government announced that they’d be continuing the recalls of these airbags. Subaru, Tesla, BMW, Volkswagen, Daimler Vans, Mercedes and Ferrari are recalling about 1.7 million vehicles. Each of these has had a Takata airbag installed. Usually, the areas with the most amount of airbag incidents are along the Southern hemisphere because humidity is the key.

These airbags are made with the chemical ammonium nitrate. Over time this chemical can erode and cause the disastrous reactions that lead to the Takata Airbag recall. The more humid the area the faster the erosion process. So, for vehicles that are, for the most part, constantly in the sun this leads to faster “boiling points” for the defective airbags. It’s for these reasons that the recalls aren’t nationwide. Well, technically they are, however, it’s only in specific geographic locations in the US that the recalls take place.

The strange thing about this latest recall is the number of vehicles that are made more recently that are being recalled. These vehicle models range from the years 2010 to 2017. Now, why is this a strange statistic? It’s strange because this recall has been ongoing since 2001! And there are models ranging from 2000 to 2017 that are still being recalled.

Why are these airbags still being installed in newer and newer models? How does that make any sense? Another question is why do these huge auto manufacturers continue to make use of these faulty devices. It doesn’t make some sense from a safety standpoint. In fact, it’s a little comical from a dark perspective. According to Transport Topics: Ford, Honda, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler already released their 2019 Takata recalls totaling more than 5 million vehicles. That’s ridiculous. Takata Corp has also been forced to seek bankruptcy protection and sell most of its assets to pay for the airbag fixes. How is it that these airbags continue to be manufactured in a way that continues to make them into frag grenades? Maybe they should take a page out of the other airbag manufacturer’s books. Time will tell is Takata finally makes a product that isn’t the antithesis of its intended purpose.

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Airbags, Airline Safety, Public Safety, Takata Recall