Federal Safety Officials Push for Nationwide Recall, Under-Oath Reports in Takata Airbag Recall

Federal safety officials are demanding a nationwide recall of millions of automobiles with defective Takata airbags. As the controversy over defective airbags made by Japanese auto parts maker Takata intensifies, federal regulators with the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Transportation Safety are calling for an expanded recall of the airbags and issuing orders for detailed reports and documentation.

These orders have gone out to not only Takata, but to the 10 automobile manufacturers known to have installed the deadly airbags in millions of vehicles on America’s roadways. The original recall affected some 7.8 million American-owned vehicles registered in a handful of the nation’s states and territories with high-humidity climates, noting results of an investigation showing that the airbags were prone to rupturing in humid conditions. Upon rupturing, the airbags send sharp-edged shrapnel throughout a vehicle’s cabin, inflicting stab-like wounds in drivers. But when an incident involving an airbag rupture was reported outside the affected region, NHTSA officials immediately acted by:

• Calling upon Takata and the 10 automakers using its airbags and airbag inflator to expand the recall of driver’s side airbags nationwide or become subject to the agency’s full statutory powers. The 10 automakers are BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota.
• Issuing a Genera Order compelling Takata and these 10 automakers to submit, under oath, detailed reports and documents relating to completed, ongoing or planned testing of the Takata airbag inflators outside the current regional recall areas.
• Issuing a Special Order to Takata demanding the company provide, again under oath, documents and detailed information about the propellant used in its airbag inflators, as Takata recently disclosed that it changed the chemical mix of the propellant.
• Issuing a Recall Acknowledgement Letter summarizing the details from Takata’s latest report regarding defective passenger side airbag inflators and pointing out information gaps that need clarification to ensure full disclosure as required by law.

“We now know that millions of vehicles must be recalled to address defective Takata air bags and our aggressive investigation is far from over,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator David Friedman in a prepared statement. “We’re pushing Takata and all affected manufacturers to issue the recall and to ensure the recalls capture the full scope of the problems.” If you or your loved ones have suffered an injury that you believe may be related to the defective airbags, contact Jacksonville’s Harrell and Harrell, serving clients throughout Northeast and Central Florida, as well as South Georgia. Call 800-251-1111 to speak with an experienced product liability or auto accident attorney today.