The Takata airbag recall has been unfolding since October, starting with a massive recall that affected 11 car companies. The Takata recall was already setting records for the amount of companies it affected with the recall. On May 19, Takata nearly doubled the recall amount and now affects approximately 34 million vehicles. It is now the largest automotive recall in history.
With the recall almost doubling, it may take years to replace the airbags that are being recalled. New processing procedures and airbags have to be produced and then shipped to dealers for replacement. Implementing a new process for producing the airbags may require modifying machines, training employees, and the other procedures to ensure their product is safe. This can take time to implement, making consumers who have to have their airbags replaced wait even longer. Takata and the car companies have a product liability responsibility to the consumer to ensure their products are safe to use.
While the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Takata will not have all the vehicles affected for a few weeks at least, of the 11 companies affected by the recall, Honda has been affected the most. Reports have been reviewed about if Honda knew about the defects before the recall was issued and did not report it to the NHTSA, but Honda has started looking into other companies for replacing the airbags. The solution is coming a little too late for some consumers who have already been affected by the defect, including families who have lost family members due to the defective airbags.
Consumers are encouraged to visit a special website set up specifically for the Takata recall to see if their vehicles are affected. On the website, consumers can input their VIN to check if the vehicle is on the recall list. If you believe your car is affected by the recall but is not on the list, NHTSA suggests checking back in a few weeks when their list of affected vehicles is more complete. Consumers affected by a defective car product should not have to wait or check back later to see if their car is affected by a recall. A recall of this size is not something that happened overnight, and it has been reviewed for long enough that there should be a more extensive list of recalled vehicles available already.
Consumers have the right to compensation for the negative impact a defective car part or product has on their lives. If you have been affected by the Takata airbag recall, contact a Chicago, Illinois defective car parts attorney today. [[title]] has experienced attorneys who have handled cases involving defective cars and car parts. They work hard to get their clients the compensation they deserve. Call the law office of [[title]], at [[phone]] for a free consultation.
