Faulty Takata airbags claim another victim 

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a renewed appeal to motorists to have their vehicle airbags checked, following the latest fatality involving faulty airbags made by defunct Japanese automotive supplier Takata. 

Defective Takata airbag inflators have taken their fourth U.S. casualty this year

“Whatever you’re doing, stop now and check to see if your vehicle has a Takata airbag recall. If it does, make an appointment to get your free repair as soon as possible,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson. “Every day that passes when you don’t get a recalled airbag replaced puts you and your family at greater risk of injury or death.”

This latest Takata airbag-related death is the fourth recorded this year, bringing the total count in the U.S. to 23. The victim was driving a 2002 Honda Accord when the vehicle was involved in a crash, at which point the airbag inflator ruptured. 

Vehicles manufactured in the early 2000s by Honda and its luxury brand Acura are at particularly high risk for airbag inflator ruptures. These use ‘alpha’ inflators (so called because of their status as the oldest airbags installed) that pose a 50 percent risk of failure during deployment. 

The victim was driving a 2002 Honda Accord, which is one of models using alpha inflators

Alpha inflators from Takata have been responsible for majority of Stateside fatalities. The latest casualty follows a November 2022 incident, in which a motorist driving a 2006 Ford Ranger also died due to a faulty driver’s side airbag inflator. 

According to American Honda Motor Company, the vehicle involved in the most recent fatal accident had been recalled in 2011. The automaker tried 300 times to contact the owner, who bought the vehicle in 2008, but the necessary airbag repairs and replacement were never carried out.  

By Honda’s estimates, some nine percent of its affected vehicles using Takata airbags are still being driven on roads unchecked. The company has resorted to tactics such as sending comics to owners via mail to convince them to have their vehicle airbags replaced free of charge.  

Over 30 deaths and countless injuries have been documented around the world due to faulty Takata inflators 

Over 30 automakers using Takata airbags have been affected in what is considered one of the largest recalls in the automotive industry to date. More than 30 deaths worldwide and countless injuries have been attributed to faulty Takata airbags. Unstable propellant has been identified as a major cause, breaking down after years of exposure to heat and humidity, resulting in shrapnel being released to occupants when an accident occurs.  

A June 2021 investigation by Joyson Safety Systems, which took over Takata’s operations in 2017 after the latter filed for bankruptcy, revealed that the former Japanese company also falsified seatbelt test data.   

Be updated on more industry stories at Philkotse.com.