Defective Takata airbags continue to plague the auto industry, as Honda announced this week that it would be recalling an additional 1.4 million cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs to replace potentially explosive airbag inflators.
Meanwhile, one major consumer group has accused General Motors (GM) of intentionally stalling airbag replacements for some of its vehicles.
Exploding Takata Airbags Linked to 20 Deaths, 250 Injuries
Takata airbag recalls began in 2008, affecting 19 automakers and more than 30 million vehicles.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), chemicals inside Takata’s defective airbag inflators can degrade over time, especially when exposed to temperature fluctuations and periods of constant high humidity.
This can cause the inflators to rupture and hurl hot shrapnel toward a vehicle’s occupants
So far, exploding Takata airbags have been linked to 20 deaths, including 15 in the United States alone.
At least 250 people have been injured in connection with the faulty components.
Millions of Vehicles Remain on the Road with Defective Takata Airbags
Last year, the Takata Corporation entered a guilty plea and agreed to pay $1 billion for conspiring to conceal the deadly defects plaguing is airbag inflators. Federal prosecutors also indicted three Takata executives on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy in relation to the same conduct.
The airbag scandal forced the Japanese company to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2017.
Yet despite the serious and potentially deadly risk the devices pose to drivers and their passengers, recalled Takata airbag inflators have yet to be replaced in millions of automobiles.
Honda Dealers to Replace Front Passenger-Side Airbags in Upcoming Recall
Honda, for example, has completed airbag inflator replacements in just over 77% of affected vehicles.
The company is now targeting a dozen different cars, trucks, and SUVs to replace their front passenger-side airbags, including:
- 2010-2012 Acura RL cars
- 2010-2014 Acura TSX cars
- 2011-2014 Acura TSX wagons
- 2010-2013 Acura ZDX hatchbacks
- 2010-2012 Honda Accord cars
- 2010-2015 Honda Crosstour hatchbacks
- 2010-2011 Honda Civic cars
- 2010-2011 Honda CR-V SUVs
- 2010-2011 Honda Element SUVs
- 2014 Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell cars
- 2010-2013 Honda Fit hatchbacks
- 2014 Honda Fit EVs
- 2010-2014 Honda Insight hybrid cars
- 2010-2015 Honda Pilot SUVs
- 2010-2014 Honda Ridgeline pickup trucks
According to Honda, the vehicles’ front driver-side airbags were replaced in connection with a previous recall.
GM SUV, Pickup Truck Owners Still Waiting for Takata Airbag Inflator Replacements
While Honda and other automakers continue to announce Takata airbag recalls, owners of certain GM pickup trucks and SUVs are wondering why they haven’t been able to get their Takata airbag inflators replaced.
Steve Helton, for example, was notified 3 years ago that his 2008 Chevy Suburban was on the recall list.
“In each of the three years, I have received a recall notice for airbags that could violently explode and send shrapnel into drivers or passengers,” he told ABC News 13 in Tampa, Florida.
“I have yet to receive a notice that any dealer now has the parts,” he continued.
Helton is not alone, as GM has yet to replace Takata airbag inflators in any of the following 2007-2011 model year pickup trucks and SUVs:
- Chevy Silverado
- Chevy Tahoe
- Chevy Suburban
- GMC Yukon
- GMC Sierra
- Cadillac Escalade
GM Seeks Exemption from Further Takata Airbag Recalls
So, what’s going on?
“In some ways, it’s accurate to say that GM is intentionally not recalling these vehicles,” Jason Levine, Executive Director for the Center for Auto Safety, told ABC News 13.
Earlier this year, in fact, the automaker petitioned the NHTSA for an exemption from further Takata airbag recalls, asserting that the airbag inflators in its trucks and SUVs are safe.
Among other things, the petition notes that the devices were manufactured to GM’s own specifications. The company also maintains that the inflators have never exploded in the field or in ballistic testing.
The Center for Auto Safety disagrees with this assessment and has urged the NHTSA to reject GM’s petition.
“Our position is that GM has not come anywhere close to demonstrating that their airbag inflators are so distinctly different from the other millions that have been recalled, that are going off and tragically killing people,” Levine said.
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