Takata critical airbags need to replace immediately

KUALA LUMPUR: It’s been 11 years since the Takata airbags were first recalled; still, there are thousands of vehicles on Australian roads that are equipped with deadly airbags. Understanding the criticality of the matter, the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) has again urged the car owners to make sure they are not driving the ticking time bombs. 

According to the estimation of ACCC, around 2,00,000 vehicles are still fitted with faulty airbags, and out of them, 8000 are at high risk. These owners must stop driving their cars immediately and let the manufacturers repurchased them.

The car companies have circulated multiple recall notices and reminders, but it is quite surprising that customers are ignoring these warnings and still driving cars. For tracking of these vehicles, some companies have hired private investigators while some have deployed private charter planes to fix the faulty airbags in remote locations.

On the other side, some industry insiders also claim that the recall is just a strategy to trick car owners for an expensive service. However, the repair of the Takata airbags is free as per the notices.

At present, there are mainly three sorts of Takata airbags at risk - Alpha, Beta, and Nadi airbags. They are fitted in various vehicles manufactured between 1990 - 2017. Out of these, Nadi airbags are of particular concern as they are most dangerous. 

A total of 21 car brands are included in the global Takata airbag recall. It comprises Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Toyota, Volkswagen, and so on. You can check the complete list on www.productsafety.gov.au.

Speaking about the so-far injuries and deaths caused by the faulty airbags, Australia has seen four deaths and an unknown number of injuries, while globally, 29 fatalities and 320 serious injuries are recorded. Nadi airbags caused two of Australia's deaths.

At this time, when the world is fighting against the coronavirus, the replacement of potentially damaged Takata airbag parts continues. "Even during this pandemic, replacing faulty airbags is an essential and potentially life-saving task, especially as vehicles may be being used by essential workers and care-givers," ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said on Tuesday.

“It will also be more important than ever that as more people start to use their cars again, they check that their airbags are safe. Affected Takata airbags can (deploy incorrectly) and send sharp metal fragments into the vehicle at high speed, and cause serious injury or death to its occupants, he added.

It is to be noted that Takata airbag recall is the most massive recall ever happened in automobile history, and Takata has also sought the cover of bankruptcy protection. Several automakers have issued massive callback notices for millions of cars with the defective airbags installed and spend hundreds of millions for the settlements. 

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