The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recently issued a recall on about 7.8 million vehicles due to defective airbags. The inflators on these airbags can actually explode under the right conditions. Not only will your airbag not protect you in the event of a crash, it might actually kill or seriously injure you. At least four deaths and a plethora of injuries have been linked with the faulty airbags. The airbags in question are in a variety of models from BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota.
Defective, Dangerous and Deadly Takata Airbags
Although a faulty airbag may not that sound that scary to some motorists, the defective airbag in question has already been linked with four deaths. It’s not that there is some minor defect making these airbags inflate poorly or improperly. The problem is that the inflators are exploding like miniature bombs. They are sending metal shrapnel at incredibly fast speeds directly toward the neck, chest, torso and facial regions of drivers and passengers.
What Took so Long?
Concerns involving the safety of these Takata airbags may have gone back to 2000, which leaves consumers wondering, what took so long? After the fiasco with the faulty GM ignition switches, it’s not very surprising that this recall took so long. In March, we reported on the recall of 1.6 million cars made by manufacturer General Motors due to faulty ignition switches. Whether it’s a faulty ignition switch or an exploding airbag, consumers have a right to know as soon as a safety issues is discovered.
When to Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
After any kind of car crash, it’s a good idea to speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. If you suspect a faulty or defective part caused your crash, you need to file a complaint with the manufacturer and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It can take years for a recall to happen, so it’s important to have concerns brought up and addressed as swiftly as possible. If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident involving a faulty or defective part, contact the skilled team at Davis Law Group, P.A. at 866-397-2897 for a case consultation today.
Automobiles being Recalled for Faulty Airbags
BMW: 627,615 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sedan 2000 – 2006 3 Series Coupe 2000 – 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon 2000 – 2006 3 Series Convertible 2001 – 2006 M3 Coupe 2001 – 2006 M3 Convertible
Chrysler: 371,309 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 2005 – 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 4500 2008 – Dodge Ram 5500 2005 – 2008 Dodge Durango 2005 – 2008 Dodge Dakota 2005 – 2008 Chrysler 300 2007 – 2008 Chrysler Aspen
Ford: 58,669 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 – Ranger 2005 – 2006 GT 2005 – 2007 Mustang
General Motors: undetermined total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Pontiac Vibe 2005 – Saab 9-2X
Honda: 5,051,364 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2007 Honda Accord)
2001 – 2002 Honda Accord 2001 – 2005 Honda Civic 2002 – 2006 Honda CR-V 2003 – 2011 Honda Element 2002 – 2004 Honda Odyssey 2003 – 2007 Honda Pilot 2006 – Honda Ridgeline 2003 – 2006 Acura MDX 2002 – 2003 Acura TL/CL 2005 – Acura RL
Mazda: 64,872 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2007 Mazda6 2006 – 2007 MazdaSpeed6 2004 – 2008 Mazda RX-8 2004 – 2005 MPV 2004 – B-Series Truck
Mitsubishi: 11,985 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 – 2005 Lancer 2006 – 2007 Raider
Nissan: 694,626 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2003 Nissan Maxima 2001 – 2004 Nissan Pathfinder 2002 – 2004 Nissan Sentra 2001 – 2004 Infiniti I30/I35 2002 – 2003 Infiniti QX4 2003 – 2005 Infiniti FX35/FX45
Subaru: 17,516 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Baja 2003 – 2005 Legacy 2003 – 2005 Outback 2004 – 2005 Impreza
Toyota: 877,000 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2002 – 2005 Lexus SC 2002 – 2005 Toyota Corolla 2003 – 2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix 2002 – 2005 Toyota Sequoia 2003 – 2005 Toyota Tundra