The Takata airbag problem is far from over. The recently announced recall of 270,000 Mazda vehicles shows that this dangerous situation is still a significant problem for the car industry. Not to mention your safety when you get behind the wheel.
Are you up to date on the details? Here’s what you should know about the largest safety recall in U.S. history.
Millions of cars are affected
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 37 million vehicles have been recalled for this exploding airbag issue. Auto parts supplier Takata installed airbags in 19 different automakers, affecting vehicles with model years ranging from 2002 to 2015.
The size of the problem is made worse by its devastating effects. Car airbags can deploy in a way that causes serious injury and even death.
A chemical reaction is to blame
This issue comes to light in the summer months because the problem is triggered by prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Heat can cause a chemical reaction that makes the airbags deploy with excessive force – even sending shards of metal flying towards the driver and passenger.
Takata airbags, the equipment designed to save your life, has suddenly become a potential danger.
How to check if your car is included
Visit this NHTSA website to see if your vehicle’s airbag is under recall. If your vehicle is affected, you can get your airbag repaired for free at your local dealership.
Additional cars are scheduled to be recalled from now until December 2019. To avoid a serious injury, you should check regularly to make sure your vehicle is not on the recall list.
