CARFAX Warns Drivers to Check for Deadly Airbag Recalls Before Holiday Travel
CARFAX Warns Drivers to Check for Deadly Airbag Recalls Before Holiday Travel
CARFAX issued a press release urging drivers to check for deadly airbag recalls before embarking on holiday road travels. According to a CARFAX press release, there are about 16 million airbags in vehicles on the road today that have an open safety recall. More than 11 million of those are defective Takata airbags, which have been the subject of unprecedented recall action in the nation’s history.
However, a CARFAX review of available data estimates that there are vehicles with another 5 million airbags from other suppliers that need to be replaced under recall orders. This warning comes after several fatalities that have been attributed to defective airbag inflators. As holiday road travel gets underway with the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, CARFAX says it is critical that vehicle owners check to see if there are any open recalls on their vehicles.
Dangers of Recalled Vehicles
CARFAX is urging consumers not only to check if their vehicles have been recalled but also to make the necessary repairs, which are free before they hit the road for holiday travel. So far, 18 people have been killed in the United States and more than 250 have been injured as a result of defective Takata airbag inflators exploding.
Nearly 63 million airbag inflators made by Takata affecting a number of brands and models of vehicles have been recalled. In addition, one man was recently killed in a similar accident that resulted in the recall of 2001-2003 Volvo S60 and S80 cars that are equipped with airbags from automotive supplier ZF/TRW.
According to reports these airbags can deploy with a lot of force shattering the inflator sending out shrapnel into the vehicle compartment, resulting in major injuries and fatalities. CARFAX’s data also shows that the number of vehicles with open safety recalls is rising again after two consecutive years of decline. There are more than 55.7 million recalled vehicles on our roadways today that have not been repaired, up 5% from 2019. You can check if your vehicle is a part of a recall by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) safercar.gov website and entering your vehicle identification number or VIN. You can also get this information by getting NHTSA’s car recall recap.
Auto Product Liability Issues
If you or a loved one has been injured by a faulty Takata airbag or any other defective auto, it is important that you contact an experienced auto defect lawyer who can provide you with more information about pursuing your legal rights. Injured victims can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, pain and suffering and emotional distress. Families that have lost loved ones as a result of a defective vehicle or part can also file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for their losses.
