Airbag Recalls Continue to Grow: What Should You Do

2007 honda civic srs airbagAuto news has been filled recently with reporting on defective airbags on 7.8 million vehicles from 10 manufacturers with airbags produced by Tokyo-based Takata Corp.

Two more automakers, loath to be in the legal crosshairs, have joined the airbag recall ranks recently, with Ford recalling 200,000 vehicles and Audi a little more than 100,000 for airbag problems. Neither Ford’s nor Audi’s defects come from Takata, but they underscore how important automakers realize it is to move quickly to fix defective parts, no matter the cost.

The Takata airbag problems have resulted in a reported 4 deaths and about 30 injuries from flying debris, shrapnel basically, caused by the deployment. To compound the problem, manufacturers such as Honda Corp. may have known about the defects and yet did nothing about them. It’s no wonder they are already attracting litigation.

So what can you do to help protect yourself and your family and prevent these types of things from happening?

First, you should find your vehicle’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), which is often located at the base of windshield or on the inside of the driver’s door.

Second, you should go to your vehicle’s manufacturer website and do a recall VIN search. Look for a “Recalls” link on the home page. You can also do a VIN search at the US Department of Transportation’s website. These searches will tell you whether your car has any specific recall work that needs to be completed.

If you’ve found your vehicle on the list it’s best to schedule the fix with an authorized dealer right away. In the meantime, you should also head the advice of some manufacturers and refrain from sitting in the front passenger seat until the problem has been fixed.

Finally, if you or someone you know has been in an accident where there was an airbag deployment you should contact us immediately. We are currently investigating these incidents locally and any information you have may be very important to current or future litigation and to the prevention of these types of incidents in the future.

Archives