The Takata air bag recall has grown even bigger. Toyota and Honda are the latest car manufacturers to recall vehicles that have air bag inflators made by Takata. Their latest recall impacts dozens of car models, and totals an additional one million vehicles in the United States.
These recalls are not insignificant. The air bag inflators that are defective can activate at any time, not just during a car accident. The result can be severe: Since the recall process began, at least 20 people have been killed, while another 280 have suffered personal injuries at the hands of the safety mechanism that is supposed to protect them.
Takata Recall Expands
Takata, a Japanese company that makes car parts, has been in the news for the past couple of years for its air bag inflators, which have proven to be defectively made. These devices are responsible for making an air bag fully inflate in the fraction of a second between a car crashing into something, and the occupants hitting the interior of their vehicle. The defects in Takata’s air bag inflators make the inflating canister explode, sending shards of metal into the car’s interior.
The extent of the defect has been astounding: Up to 69 million inflators, which had been installed inside 42 million vehicles, have been called into doubt.
Takata’s most recent announcement increased this number even more: They had discovered that another 3.3 million inflators might be defective, as well.
Toyota Recalls Vehicles With Takata Inflators
On the heels of Takata’s announcement, Toyota recalled an additional 601,300 vehicles in the U.S. that had the defective inflators installed. The recall impacts certain models from 2009, 2010, and 2013, with a full listing provided by this Toyota press release.
Honda Also Recalls Cars and Motorcycles With Defective Inflators
In addition to Toyota’s announcement, Honda has also come forward with news of a recall. Theirs will impact an estimated 465,000 cars and 960 Gold Wing motorcycles that had Takata air bags installed.
Owners of impacted vehicles should receive a notification if they are impacted, in February.
Dangers of Defective Airbags
Takata’s defective air bags are not a trivial matter. They deteriorate in moist conditions and when the temperature fluctuates. When the deterioration reaches a certain point, the highly pressurized canisters that hold the chemical gases that inflate the air bag can rupture, exploding outwards into the inside of the vehicle. When this happens spontaneously, it can be a shock and cause serious facial injuries. When it happens during a car crash, though, it can cause all of the same injuries, and also render the air bag powerless to protect you during the accident.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
If you or someone you love has been hurt by a defective Takata air bag, or if you think your vehicle’s air bags failed to protect you during a crash, reach out to the personal injury attorneys at the Smith Law Office in St. Joseph, Missouri. Call them at (816) 875-9373 or contact them online.