In August, Ford issued another "do not drive" advisory for many of their cars that are still using the deadly Takata airbags. Among the other car brands, there are still over 300,000 vehicles on the road with the dangerous equipment.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A decade ago, in 2014, Honda called for the recall of cars that had the Takata airbags installed. This followed a year after Honda reported three deaths thanks to the explosive equipment. Despite the vast majority of affected cars being recalled, there were still 318,700 cars still out there, according to Ford.
The campaign to get the cars recalled to get their airbags replaced has been extensive. According to Design News, "more than 121 million outreach attempts using letters, emails, phone calls, text messages, and more than a million canvassing visits to customer homes" have been made.
34 different car brands have been affected, issuing their own lists of cars that need to be not driven and recalled for fixing.
To make the process easier, Ford is offering mobile repair teams that can be dispatched to wherever the car is. Additionally, the dealership has offered to tow people's cars to the dealer for repairs to prevent them from being driven. Vehicle loans have also been offered to minimize disruption.
Why Are Takata Airbags Deadly?
At least 32 people have died due to the Takata airbags in the US alone. They were the leading provider of airbags at the time, so were installed in millions of cars industrywide.
Takata airbags are lethal due to them being prone to explosion upon being deployed. This is because the propellant used in their pyrotechnic inflators can absorb moisture from the air. If ignited, it'll explode. Upon detonation, metal fragments will be flung from the airbag, which has proven lethal dozens of times.
This incredibly ironic feature of the airbags has caused an incredibly long, expensive, and complex recall that's taken place since 2014. Takata filed for bankruptcy in 2017 due their dangerous product.
I urge you to make sure your car doesn't have a Takata airbag installed. It'll only take a moment to check and your life may very well be in the balance. Car crashes are unexpected and very common. Even if the crash leaves you only lightly injured, the Takata airbags could still take your life.
