Takata Corp Airbag Recall Affects Millions of Vehicle Owners

Potentially dangerous airbags by Takata Corp are recalled in various models of 2001-2007 vehicles.  The airbags blasted shrapnel into the passenger seat and automakers have recalled about 12 million vehicles worldwide due to this problem.

Vehicle owners with these airbags are informed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to take immediate action.  In the Portland area, many dealerships don’t have immediate access to the replacement parts.  Some local dealerships say it could take days or weeks for the replacement parts to arrive.

The result of this backlog is that vehicle owners are having to make two appointments.  One appointment is to have their airbags deactivated and a warning sticker applied so no one sits in the passenger seat.  The second appointment is to get the airbag inflator replaced when the parts are available.

Bloomberg reports that Takata’s “global crisis” may be the result of the company’s reliance on an unusual explosive chemical to inflate its air bags in milliseconds.  Other than Takata, no other airbag supplier has used ammonium nitrate.

Check your vehicles VIN number to see if yours is on the recall list.