Safety recalls – some take them as a telltale sign of bad quality, while most appreciate the warning. The truth is, safety recalls let you know that your favorite car brands care, that they know they’re not perfect and they voluntarily want to correct the fault their products may have.
Most of the time, actually, these safety recalls are not entirely a manufacturer’s fault. Carmakers have third-party suppliers that provide parts that aren’t produced by the automaker themselves. Transmissions are the perfect example of these sourced parts and of course, airbags.
Probably the biggest and deadliest safety recall ever recorded in modern history happened between 2013 and up to the present time, with one company behind the mess: Takata Corporation.
The now-defunct Takata Corporation began making airbags in 1988. It played a major role in the industry due to the increasing importance of safety features in cars – so much so that Takata had become the supplier of airbags of a fifth of the entire automotive industry.
From mass-market automakers like Honda and Toyota to luxury marques like Audi and BMW, almost every car in the previous decade or so are equipped with Takata airbags – and there lies the problem.
In 2013, several automakers issued a voluntary recall of millions of cars with Takata-made airbags. This was the start of a series of recalls that continued until the present time, covering a hundred million inflators in vehicles manufactured by 30 car brands, including the Philippines. And it wasn’t just an issue of non-deploying airbags.
As found out in numerous investigations conducted by several highway safety institutions, the inflators of these Takata-made airbags can rupture, which can emit fragments that can cause injuries or in worst cases, deaths. It was also concluded that the propellants were the cause of these explosions, which, when exposed to high temperature and humidity, can break down.
Takata had admitted its fault, caused mainly by mishandling and poor quality control in its factories.
Now, why are we talking about recalls?
As mentioned, these faulty airbag inflators can cause injuries or deaths. Most recently, another airbag explosion happened in the U.S., claiming the life of the driver in the process. It was a 2002 Honda Civic and as reported by Reuters, Honda repeatedly sent out notices and attempted to contact the owner as part of the worldwide recall.
The problem is, the driver wasn’t the registered owner of the vehicle, which meant that he might not have received the numerous notifications sent out by the automaker.
In the Philippines, affected automakers have already issued voluntary recalls to address the issue. If you’ve already heeded the call, then good. If not, then there’s something you should do.
What should you do?
In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) admitted there’s a substantial percentage of the recalled vehicles that weren’t fixed, primarily because of the owners’ non-compliance. That number doesn’t reflect the statistics worldwide – it could be better or it could be worse.
With that said, we urge you to not take safety recalls lightly. If you’ve bought a secondhand vehicle from 1998 up until 2015, it would be best if you check with a dealer if your vehicle has already been fixed through a recall.
Also, moving forward, be on the lookout for voluntary recalls sent out by your car brand as frequently as possible. It’s for yours and your family’s own good. Lives are at stake, needless to say.
For car brands, we urge you to announce any recall whenever one arises. We urge you to use us, the automotive media, to disseminate the information to your patrons. It’s your responsibility to your customers – an obligation, even – one that you shouldn’t turn a blind eye on at any given time.