One of the largest part recalls in history is proving to be one of the most frustrating for owners as those lucky enough to secure the repair kit find themselves dropping their vehicle at the shop for a second time.
The recall of Takata airbag inflators has impacted more than 34 million vehicles worldwide to date and the list continues to grow. Some of the inflators have been found to explode when deployed, sending shrapnel flying towards the occupants of the vehicle. The deaths of eight Americans, and numerous reports of injuries, have been tied to the faulty inflators.
Calgarian Barry Elliot received a Takata related recall notice in July 2015 for his 2005 Ford Mustang. Elliot contacted his Ford dealership to schedule an appointment and was told it would take between 12 and 18 months before the shop would have the parts needed for the fix.
“The part that bothers me is that they can’t say when they can produce the parts.”
Elliot, and others in his shoes, face a Hobson’s choice; continue to drive a vehicle with a potentially deadly defect or park their vehicle for months, perhaps years, before the concern is properly addressed.
“I’m not very happy about it, but I don’t know what else I can do,” said Elliot.
The cause of Takata’s exploding inflators has not been confirmed but the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, suspects the chemical propellant Ammonium Nitrate is a contributing factor.
“In the absence of any new information, all of these inflators must eventually be recalled,” said Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA administrator, in a recent address. “Any future recalls, under this consent order, will be subject of risk assessments and prioritizations.”
As part of the NHTSA consent order, Takata has agreed to pay a $70 million civil penalty which could increase to $200 million if Safety Act orders are violated. Unless Takata can prove the safety of its inflators, the current recall will likely expand to include vehicles that already underwent the installation of the repair kit, a replacement part that contained Ammonium Nitrate.
The recall could be expanded to include addition vehicles numbering in the millions and the re-recalling of vehicles.
Some manufacturers including Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and Honda are sourcing repair kits from manufacturers other than Takata.
“We were the first automaker to migrate to an alternative supplier so when a driver’s side airbag gets replaced, it will be a permanent fix,” said Eric Mayne,Fiat spokesperson, Chrysler Automobiles.
Transport Canada, which acknowledges its use of NHTSA information and findings, says the risk of injury is considered low as the combination of heat and high humidity, conditions uncommon in Canada, has factored in reported inflator failures. There have been no reported Takata airbag inflator explosions in the country.
Replacement kits are being shipped on a risk consideration basis and Canada’s climate places the country relatively low on the priority list.
For more information on the Takata recall in Canada, visit Transport Canada
With files from CTV's Lea Williams-Doherty
