A 28th death has been confirmed in the ongoing defective Takata airbag recall that has stretched over the last decade and a half, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday,
The death, reported to the NHTSA by Honda, took place in 2018 but was only recently verified as being a result of a malfunctioning Takata airbag. According to the car maker, a person was killed in Alabama while driving a Honda vehicle with one of the defective inflators.
Honda also said 20 of the known deaths and 200 associated injuries caused by driver's front airbag inflators supplied by Takata occurred in Honda and Acura vehicles. As of early September, the automaker has replaced approximately 16.9 million Takata inflators, or about 95% of those known to exist.
However, the sheer size of the recall, which Honda says has also caused deaths in Brazil, China, Ghana, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Seychelles and Thailand related to ruptures, means the company and NHTSA are urging anyone with a card included in the recall to get it fixed immediatly.
"Honda continues to urge owners of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by the Takata airbag inflator recalls to get their vehicles repaired at an authorized dealership as soon as possible," the comapny said in a statment. "Replacement parts are now available for all recalled Honda and Acura models. The authorized dealership will make appropriate repairs for free."
In the U.S., approximately 67 million Takata airbags are under recall in tens of millions of vehicles, according to the NHTSA. The agency has likewise confirmed 28 deaths and at least 400 alleged injuries caused by exploding Takata airbags since 2009.
The danger stems from the airbag inflators specifically, which can break down over time with long-term exposure to high heat and humidity, causing airbags to explode when deployed. Metal parts from the exploding inflator cause an increased risk of injury or death.
The NHTSA advised that even seemingly small or minor crashes can cause the airbags to improperly deploy in a manner that "can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries."
The NHTSA has kept an ongoing list of recalls linked to the Takata airbags across major vehicle manufacturers. The list is not necessarily exhaustive and is subject to change, meaning car owners should still use the organization's recall lookup tool to check on their specific vehicle.
The airbag recalls have impacted the most recognized car makers to Americans, including:
Two separate, smaller recalls issued in 2019 and 2020, applied to Takata airbags built with defective non-azide driver inflators (NADI), causing airbags to potentially explode or not inflate properly when deployed.
This more limited recall included:
BMW recalls (108,581 vehicles)
Toyota recalls (138,842 vehicles)
Audi recalls (169,669 vehicles)
Honda recalls (2,376,671 vehicles)
Mitsubishi recalls (20,000 vehicles)
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