Largest Consumer Product Recall Ever: Takata Airbags

Airbag Photo II

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is requesting airbag manufacturer Takata Corp. recall nearly 34 million front airbag inflators that possibly have degraded over time since installation. According to the most recent story at Cars.com, this is a change in direction for NHTSA. The safety agency originally didn't see the need to expand the previous recall that covered 17 million vehicles and inflators. This new expansion will include additional passenger-side inflators, as well as a wider range of vehicle models.

Relatively few pickup trucks are affected by the action, which covers 2000s-era vehicles from brands built in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Depending on how the manufacturer is handling the recalls, fix times can vary greatly.

In the first wave of airbag-related recalls that were announced in October 2014, 11 pickups were identified. In this most recent expansion of the Takata recall, several of those same models have had the model years widened. 

Models include: 

2005-08 Dodge Dakota

2003-08 Dodge Ram 1500

2005-08 Dodge Ram 2500

2006-08 Dodge Ram 3500

2006-08 Dodge Ram 4500

2008 Dodge Ram 5500

2004-05 Ford Ranger

2006 Honda Ridgeline

2004-05 Mazda B Series (Ranger twin)

2005-08 Mitsubishi Raider (Dakota twin)

2003-05 Toyota Tundra

NHTSA will release more details later and could include more models and production years. To find out more, visit NHTSA's new Recalls Spotlight page.

Cars.com photo by Mark Williams

 

Comments

Is there is complete list of all cars and trucks that need to be recalled?

These airbags have been reported to deploy and fire shrapnel at a person's chest, head and neck.

This just hit our shores yesterday.

It appear the way Takata is structuring the management of the recall will have to be quite measured.

I don't know how Takata can magically pluck 10's of millions of airbags out of you know where.

If you take your effected vehicle to dealer they will simply unplug or deactivate your air bags, they won't replace them.
They don't replace them cause they don't have any new ones to replace them with!
Duh!
Then you have to sign some paperwork saying they are not responsible if you die with air bags that don't work.

Doesn't effect me I have a newer F-150
na na,,, na-na-na
This proves Ford loves and cares about their customers and others don't, so don't give me any BS that the vehicle makers didn't know about this problem 10 years ago!
They knew!


Most press reports has "air bags" as 2 words

By attrition, most of the trucks listed except the Tundra and Ridgeline, are no longer affected.

makes me think of that State Farm TV commercial where 2 guys sitting in a jeep and a buffalo hits them then fake air bags come out that look just like garbage bags. I mean if they are going to spend a million dollars making a commercial can't they make the air bags look more real?
Why can't they use a handsome good looking guy like me for those commercials ?
That's NOT fair!

RAM!!!!

Guts!

Glory!

Firing shrapnel into your chest!

The brand you will Live and Die for!

RAM!!!!

If Hillary Clinton was President she would put pressure on all the vehicle makers to either correct these unsafe air bags NOW or give us a new vehicle with safe airbags!
Wouldn't that be nice if you owned an old 2003 Ram 1500 all rusted out and they gave you a brand new 2015 Ram 1500 for nothing?
Hillary could do that, she cares about us!
Please vote for Hillary

Either replace those unsafe airbags or give us a new vehicle!
yea!

@Tom#3,

I realize people in this culture are extremely self absorbed and suffer from a huge entitlement complex. However, I don' t think people who own the vehicles with these faulty airbags are expecting a new one under a "cash for clunkers" type federal program. A safer non schrapnel firing airbag would be enough.

It's unfortunate that all they do is disconnect the airbags and basically put you back to pre 1996 model year safety levels when it comes to crash protection .

I think they should step up to the plate and replace these faulty airbags with good ones. Fix the airbags, don't disconnect them. Yeah, it's going to cost Takata a whole bunch of money, but it's the right thing to do.

Ok ok, some of these products are getting onto 12 plus years of age, would you be firing ammunition of that age? I'd like to know where we all came up with the idea that our lives are guaranteed to be safe. Perhaps you should read the owners manual in your vehicle...I think I read somewhere that your entire restraint system needs to be inspected or replaced after ten years. When you look at the scope of the recall 34 million airbags, 5 deaths and a hundred injuries I'd have to say more people die or are injured each year taking a shower. When are we going to recall them. Face it nothing is fail safe, people will die regardless of how big brother wants to make us safer.
PS. Hillary lost all of the replacement bags along with her emials so she is of no help.



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