Takata, the Japanese airbag manufacturer, has announced the largest vehicle recall in United States History: 34 million vehicles, an estimated 13.6% of all vehicles on the road. The announcement comes on the heels of a well-publicized request from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to recall all vehicles installed with faulty airbags. Prior to the Takata announcement, the company had never acknowledged that their airbags were dangerous.
The current list of vehicles that will be subject to the recall is being finalized, and further test could affect the overall number of recalled vehicles. The airbag propellant Takata uses is sensitive to moisture and temperature variability, both reasons why the original recalls focused on humid environments. But with the new recall, Takata has acknowledged that some of the airbag inflaters leak, allowing moisture to penetrate the product. When the airbag propellant comes into contact with moisture, it poses a risk of the propellant canister exploding from excessive force when ignited.
This is a developing news story. See the full news article here.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or by any recalled defective product, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at (800) 333-0000 for a free consultation. You may be entitled to compensation.
