A defective Takata airbag has killed another motorist in the US motorist – believed to be the 35th fatality worldwide – after the Honda owner ignored hundreds of requests for the defective device to be replaced.
The peak road safety authority in the US has reported the second death in as many months to be caused by a defective Takata airbag, despite the Honda owner being contacted more than 300 times for the deadly device to be replaced.
In 2013, car-makers around the world discovered certain airbags produced by now-defunct Japanese company Takata could degrade over time, causing the airbag to blast metal shrapnel from its inflator when deployed in a crash.
It is estimated 100 million cars from more than two dozen brands originally fitted with certain Takata airbags have been recalled and fixed globally since 2013, although there are still vehicles on the road which have not had their potentially fatal devices replaced.
In a media statement, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported a driver was killed in Bowling Green, Texas, as a result of their 2002 Honda Accord’s Takata airbag inflator rupturing during a crash.
A media statement issued by Honda’s US division claims it attempted to contact the car’s owner more than 300 times since the recall campaign began, although the airbag was never replaced.
According to Honda, it mailed more than 40 notices to the owner’s registered address, made more than 230 phone calls, and sent in excess of 40 email notifications.
The fatality is believed to be the 23rd in the US caused by a defective Takata airbag, among an estimated 35 deaths and 350 serious injuries worldwide. At least two people have been killed in Australia, with the fatal incidents occurring in 2017 and 2019.
Honda’s US cars have been involved in about half of the worldwide fatalities, with the car-maker reporting 17 US motorists killed by Takata airbags in its vehicles, with more than 200 motorists suffering serious injuries.
Last month, a Ford Ranger driver in the US was also killed by a faulty Takata airbag after ignoring multiple warnings from the car-maker. Ford claims it sent the owner more than 100 notices requesting for the recall to be carried out – which included text messages and a visit to the owner’s home to schedule the repair.
In March 2021, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced more than 4.1 million faulty Takata airbags in 3.06 million cars had been replaced, representing ‘99.9 per cent’ of local cars originally equipped with the deadly device.
Last month, the consumer watchdog told Drive this figure had reached 100 per cent – although its data includes cars which have not had their airbags physically replaced, but which have been reported as written-off or scrapped.
In its data, the ACCC includes cars which have been scrapped, stolen or unregistered for more than two years – or owned by uncontactable motorists.
To check if your car was originally fitted with a faulty Takata airbag, click here.
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