NHTSA confirms another death from Takata airbags

WASHINGTON — A U.S. auto safety regulator on Friday stated it had confirmed a new crash loss of life from a faulty airbag in a Honda car, as it urged entrepreneurs to get remember repairs concluded.

The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Basic safety Administration (NHTSA) explained it experienced confirmed that the February death of the driver of a 2002 Honda Accord in Bowling Eco-friendly, Kentucky, was thanks to a faulty airbag inflator.

Extra than 30 deaths worldwide — which include at the very least 23 U.S. fatalities — and hundreds of injuries in various automakers’ autos considering the fact that 2009 are joined to Takata airbag inflators that can explode, unleashing possibly fatal metallic shrapnel inside of automobiles.

4 Takata airbag deaths have been confirmed this calendar year, which include two Stellantis automobiles and 1 Ford vehicle.

Honda has now verified 17 U.S. fatalities and a lot more than 200 injuries in the U.S. linked to Takata frontal driver’s airbags because of to inflator ruptures.

Around the past decade, additional than 67 million Takata airbag inflators have been recalled in the United States and extra than 100 million globally, in the most important vehicle protection callback in historical past. Millions of unrepaired cars are continue to on the highway with the risky inflators. NHTSA urges house owners to check the status of their vehicles and speak to automakers for the free restore.

From a NHTSA assertion on the remember and most the latest demise:

The National Highway Visitors Security Administration urgently phone calls on all car or truck entrepreneurs to test now for open up Takata recalls on their autos, following confirming another Takata rupture fatality. 1 human being died in a crash in a 2002 Honda Accord the place the Takata driver’s side air bag inflator ruptured. This provides the overall variety of confirmed fatalities due to Takata inflator rupture to 23, with 4 fatalities confirmed in 2022.

 

NHTSA is urging ALL auto house owners to straight away look at to see if their car has an open Takata air bag recall. If it does, proprietors have to have to make contact with their dealership to plan a Totally free repair service as before long as feasible and adhere to any warnings from the vehicle manufacturer.  

 

For Takata data for distinct auto manufacturers, please click on right here. For extra information and facts from NHTSA on the Takata air bag protection remember, please click on below.

Honda said the 2002 Accord in the Kentucky crash had been recalled in 2011 and the Japanese automaker manufactured additional than 300 attempts to get to the operator, who had acquired the car in 2008, but the repair service was never ever completed.

Very last month, Chrysler mum or dad Stellantis urged entrepreneurs of 276,000 more mature U.S. autos to straight away end driving soon after 3 crash deaths tied to defective Takata airbag inflators ended up documented this year. The NHTSA has verified two of the a few deaths.

The “Do Not Push” warning was for owners of earlier recalled, unrepaired 2005 to 2010 Dodge Magnum station wagons, Dodge Challenger coupes, and Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans.

Also previous month, the NHTSA confirmed a new dying because of to a defective Takata airbag inflator in a 2006 Ford Ranger pickup.

The vehicle basic safety company reported the Takata recollects ended up spurred by propellant that could crack down after extended-expression publicity to superior-temperature fluctuations and humidity.

Previous yr, the NHTSA opened a probe into 30 million automobiles crafted by practically two dozen automakers that have likely defective Takata airbag inflators.