Takata Airbag Recall Lawyers

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts throughout alleging that Japanese auto supplier Takata Corporation supplied Honda, GM, Toyota, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Mazda car manufacturers with potentially defective airbags that may rupture on activation, causing injury to vehicle passengers. The lawsuits have been brought against Takata, as well as a host of auto manufacturers whose vehicles may contain the potentially defective airbags.

Takata Airbag Recall

Almost 8 million vehicles equipped with the Takata airbags have been recalled in the United States. The number of recalled vehicles may continue to rise as reports of injuries and deaths resulting from exploding airbags continue to surface. To date, the alleged defect has been linked to at least 4 deaths and over 140 injuries.

According to numerous reports, the recalled airbags allegedly rupture, causing them to explode when activated. The rupturing has been linked to the propellant inside the airbag’s metal inflator, which is intended to burn slowly, causing the airbag to inflate on impact. In certain circumstances, the allegedly faulty propellant burns aggressively, causing the inflator to explode and shoot metal shrapnel through the airbag’s fabric at vehicle passengers.

NHTSA issued a Consumer Advisory on October 22, 2014, urging owners of potentially affected vehicles to “act immediately on recall notices to replace defective Takata airbags.” According to the Advisory, reports of injuries and death allegedly resulting from Takata airbags date back to early 2013.

Honda’s Knowledge of the Defect

According to a September 2014 investigative report, Honda learned of the alleged defect in 2004, when an airbag exploded in a Honda Accord in Alabama. The report states that what Honda deemed an “anomaly” soon mushroomed into a series of recalls, the first of which took place in 2008, when Honda recalled approximately 4,200 vehicles potentially containing defective airbags. The report also states that incident reports continued to be filed with Honda, and alludes to the fact that questions remain as to how these incidents were in turn reported to the NHTSA and other federal automobile regulators. To date, Honda has issued nine recalls concerning the Takata airbags in Honda and Acura vehicles. Of the approximately 8 million vehicles recalled, approximately two-thirds are Honda vehicles.

Other Vehicle Manufacturers

In connection with its ongoing investigation, the NHTSA has requested that Honda, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota participate in voluntary field service actions, or regional recalls. According to correspondence to NHTSA from these automakers, though each has agreed to conduct the field service actions, none have stated that a defect exists in any of the recalled vehicles. The regional recalls require automakers to recall certain model year vehicles registered in Florida, areas near the Gulf of Mexico and Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, and Hawaii, as well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and Saipan.

According to the NHTSA, these regions are of particular concern to Takata and the automakers, as high humidity and resulting moisture may damage the ammonium nitrate compounds inside the airbags’ inflators, which may cause them to rupture.

Availability of Replacement Airbags

According to numerous news outlets, because there are almost 8 million recalled vehicles, supply of replacement airbags cannot meet consumers’ demand. In response, some manufacturers have decided to disable the airbags in the absence of replacements, and they are advising against using the passenger seat in recalled vehicles altogether.

Vehicles Included in the Takata Airbag Recall

According to the NHTSA, the following vehicles may be a part of the Takata airbag recalls:

• Acura MDX (model years 2003 – 2006)
• Acura TL/CL (model years 2002 – 2003)
• Acura RL (model year 2005)
• BMW 3 Series Sedan (model years 2000 – 2005)
• BMW 3 Series Coupe & Convertible (model years 2000 – 2006)
• BMW 3 Series Wagon (model years 2000 – 2005)
• BMW M3 Coupe & Convertible (model years 2001 – 2006)
• Chrysler 300 (model years 2005 – 2008)
• Chrysler Aspen (model years 2007 – 2008)
• Dodge Dakota (model Years 2005 – 2008)
• Dodge Durango (model years 2005 – 2008)
• Dodge Ram 1500 (model years 2003 – 2008)
• Dodge Ram 2500 (model years 2005 – 2008)
• Dodge Ram 3500 (model years 2006 – 2008)
• Dodge Ram 2500 (model years 2006 – 2008)
• Dodge Ram 5500 (model year 2008)
• Ford GT (model years 2005 – 2006)
• Ford Mustang (model years 2005 – 2007)
• Ford Ranger (model year 2004)
• Honda Accord (model years 2001 – 2007)
• Honda Civic (model years 2001 – 2005)
• Honda CR-V (model years 2002-2006)
• Honda Element (model years 2003 – 2011)
• Honda Odyssey (model years 2002 – 2004)
• Honda Pilot (model years 2003 – 2007)
• Honda Ridegline (model year 2006)
• Infiniti FX (model years 2003 – 2005)
• Infiniti I (model years 2001 – 2004)
• Lexus SC (model years 2002 – 2005)
• Mazda 6 (model years 2003 – 2007)
• Mazda B-series Truck (model year 2004)
• Mazda MPV (model years 2004 – 2005)
• Mazda RX-8 (model years 2004 – 2008)
• Mitsubishi Lancer (model years 2004 – 2005)
• Mitsubishi Raider (model years 2006 – 2007)
• Nissan Maxima (model years 2001 – 2003)
• Nissan Pathfinder (model years 2001 – 2004)
• Nissan Sentra (model years 2002 – 2004)
• Pontiac Vibe (model years 2003 – 2005)
• Saab 9-2x (model year 2005)
• Subaru Baja (model years 2003 – 2005)
• Subaru Impreza (model years 2004 – 2005)
• Subaru Legacy (model years 2003 – 2005)
• Subaru Outback (model years 2003 – 2005)
• Toyota Corolla (model years 2002 – 2005)
• Toyota Matrix (model years 2003 – 2005)
• Toyota Sequoia (model years 2002 – 2005)
• Toyota Tundra (model years 2003 – 2005)

Takata Airbag Defect Law Firm

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury that you suspect was caused by the Takata airbag defect, then you may have legal recourse against Takata and the manufacturer of your vehicle. Contact a Takata Airbag Injury Attorney today. Mr. Mendelsohn will review your injury claim for free, and represent you on a contingent fee basis, which means you don’t have to pay any attorney fees unless you recover on your claim. We’ll fight to ensure that you and your family are fully compensated.

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