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The Takata airbag recall fiasco might be extended to an additional five million vehicles.
The situation arose after an investigation on the death of a South California driver in December 2015. Apparently, his 2006 Ford Ranger was fitted with a Takata airbag whose inflator exploded during the airbag deployment process.
As those who have followed the topic know, the faulty Takata airbag inflators could kill occupants when they go off because of a manufacturing and handling issue. When a defective airbag inflator explodes, it spreads metal and plastic shrapnel at high speeds, endangering the lives of people it is supposed to protect.
The incident in South Carolina marks the first Takata-related death in a vehicle other than a Honda, USA Today informs.
Because of this situation, the Takata airbag inflator recall will be expanded by about one million vehicles that use the same type of driver-side airbag like the one in the 2006 Ford Ranger. Before this incident, NHTSA tests of 1,900 inflators in the Ford Ranger did not uncover any issues.
However, the Takata recall fiasco is not over yet, as another four million vehicles will also have to be called back to replace a different type of airbag inflator, also made by Takata. That kind of inflator has ruptured in tests on three separate occasions on Toyota RAV4 cars, the NHTSA reports. Other brands involved in the recall include Ford, Volkswagen, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.
Without this early estimate of five million extra vehicles to be recalled, over 23 million airbag inflators have been ordered, USA Today notes. The other inflators are for 19 million vehicles affected in the US, not including those destined for the other vehicles sold worldwide with Takata airbag inflators.
Gordon Trowbridge, an NHTSA spokesman, stated that the five million vehicles mentioned might overlap with other cars that have to be recalled.
Therefore, the Takata airbag recall might be expanded to other brands and vehicles, while some cars that were supposed to have their passenger-side airbag inflators changed might also get new inflators for the driver-side airbag.
As those who have followed the topic know, the faulty Takata airbag inflators could kill occupants when they go off because of a manufacturing and handling issue. When a defective airbag inflator explodes, it spreads metal and plastic shrapnel at high speeds, endangering the lives of people it is supposed to protect.
The incident in South Carolina marks the first Takata-related death in a vehicle other than a Honda, USA Today informs.
Because of this situation, the Takata airbag inflator recall will be expanded by about one million vehicles that use the same type of driver-side airbag like the one in the 2006 Ford Ranger. Before this incident, NHTSA tests of 1,900 inflators in the Ford Ranger did not uncover any issues.
However, the Takata recall fiasco is not over yet, as another four million vehicles will also have to be called back to replace a different type of airbag inflator, also made by Takata. That kind of inflator has ruptured in tests on three separate occasions on Toyota RAV4 cars, the NHTSA reports. Other brands involved in the recall include Ford, Volkswagen, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.
Without this early estimate of five million extra vehicles to be recalled, over 23 million airbag inflators have been ordered, USA Today notes. The other inflators are for 19 million vehicles affected in the US, not including those destined for the other vehicles sold worldwide with Takata airbag inflators.
Gordon Trowbridge, an NHTSA spokesman, stated that the five million vehicles mentioned might overlap with other cars that have to be recalled.
Therefore, the Takata airbag recall might be expanded to other brands and vehicles, while some cars that were supposed to have their passenger-side airbag inflators changed might also get new inflators for the driver-side airbag.
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