We all want to believe that product manufacturers adequately safeguard the users of their products at every stage of the process, from initial design drawings to the manufacture and sale of the products to in-field examinations as problems are reported.
Even more than that, we want to believe that our government agencies are adequate to protect us from any unscrupulous manufacturers that place profits over safety on their priority list. Unfortunately, what we want to believe happens with product safety and what actually happens in the real world are often worlds apart. The problem with Takata airbags is a prime example.
Takata makes airbags and airbag inflators that have been put into tens of millions of cars all around the world. The only problem is that there are many reports that instead of simply inflating the airbags, Takata’s systems sprayed pieces of metal into cars. Those exploding airbag systems have left drivers and passengers dead.
Takata knew it had a problem with its airbags in 2000, but nothing came to light about it until 2004. This is just a small part of hiding the problem. Many automobiles were not placed on the recall list until the deaths occurred from shrapnel from the airbag deployment system. Even now, it is unclear how many automobiles are subject to the recall. Estimates as high as 34 million cars have been made by Takata, but this is a moving target. The numbers seem to change almost daily. Of the cars and trucks that have been put on a recall list, only about 25% of those in the United States have been repaired. Furthermore, Takata is not sure whether those that have been repaired are subject to the same defects. Takata admits that some of those that have been replaced or repaired will have to be recalled again.
Car and Driver magazine has documented the lies, the deceit and the problems with this massive recall in the following article. The affected cars and trucks are listed at the end of the article.
Call us if you have any questions about the recall or if we can help you or your family. Call me at (205) 322-1201 or visit our contact page to send me a message.