Ford and Honda Add 1 Million More Vehicles to Takata Airbag Recall

Ford and Honda have added more than 1 million vehicles to the ever-expanding Takata airbag inflator recall. According to an Associated Press news report, Honda Motor Company is recalling 772,000 additional Honda and Acura vehicles in the U.S. for defective front passenger seat airbag inflators made by Japanese supplier Takata Corporation. Ford is recalling more than 816,000 vehicles in North America.

Honda’s vehicles are part of an expanded recall of 1.29 million vehicles including some recalled earlier. Several Acura models including the MDX, RL, TSX and TSX wagon are being recalled while the Honda models include Civic, Fit, Pilot, Ridgeline and Insight. Ford’s recall includes the Mustang, Fusion, Zephyr and Lincoln MKZ. For a complete list of the recalled vehicles, models and years, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) recall website, safercar.gov.

Unprecedented Recall

Defective Takata airbags have now been involved in the recall of more than 100 million vehicles, which is an unprecedented number worldwide. About 69 million vehicles have been recalled in the U.S. alone. Takata airbag inflators use the chemical, ammonium nitrate, to cause a small explosion designed to inflate the airbags during the crash. However, the airbags explode with such force that the inflator disintegrates expelling shards of metal into the passenger compartment leaving occupants with wounds similar to what one might find in a stabbing incident.

As many as 16 people have been killed worldwide and 180 injured. The most recent incident was in Southern California where a woman driving an older model Honda bought in an auction was killed by an exploding Takata airbag. These types of accidents have raised increasing concerns among regulators and safety advocates about how effective these recalls have been in alerting consumers about these dangerous vehicles. Often times, the recall notices don’t even get to consumers because cars change hands a number of times.

If You Own a Recalled Vehicle

It is first important to find out if you own a recalled Takata vehicle. You can find that information out by visiting the safercar.gov website and entering your vehicle identification number or VIN. If it is part of the recall, contact your dealer right away to find out if the parts are available and if the repairs can be conducted right away. If not, try to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a faulty Takata airbag, contact an experienced auto defect attorney who will fight for your rights and help you secure maximum compensation for your losses.