Contact our law firm about a lawsuit if your loved one was injured or killed in an accident where an air bag exploded. Below is information about another death and an expansion of the Takata air bag inflator recall.
In late December 2015, another person died when a Takata air bag ruptured and blew shrapnel in a crash, this one in South Carolina.1 The vehicle involved was a 2006 Ford Ranger. This was the ninth death in the U.S. and the tenth worldwide caused by defective Takata air bag inflators.
Expanded Takata Air Bag Inflator Recall
(Please note that this is an expanded recall. You absolutely need to use the Vin lookup tool (click here) to find out if your vehicle has been recalled. If so, you need to contact a dealer and get your vehicle in as soon as possible.)
The expanded recall involves certain Takata SDI and PSDI-5 air bag inflators.
Takata has recalled certain SDI-model driver-side inflators, Recall 16E-006:
The recall includes non-desiccated Takata SDI inflators from the start of production through model year 2014. The production dates for these airbag inflators are January 1, 2002, through August 31, 2014. These inflators were installed as original equipment in vehicles sold in the United States by the following manufacturers: Audi USA, Volkswagen Group of America; Daimler Vans USA, LLC; Ford Motor Company; Mazda North American Operations; and Volkswagen Group of America. According to the recall announcement: “Takata is aware of three field ruptures of non-desiccated SDI inflators. One of these was in the United States and two were outside of the United States. In the event of an inflator rupture, metal fragments could pass through the air bag cushion material, which may result in injury or death to vehicle occupants.”
In addition, NHTSA announced that Takata had declared certain PSDI-5 model inflators defective after Takata ballistic testing resulted in the rupture of four inflators that were recovered during a Toyota recall, Recall 16E-005:
The recall includes non-desiccated Takata PSDI-5 inflators from the start of production through the end of Model Year 2014. Production dates are January 1, 2003, through August 31, 2014. The subject inflators were installed as original equipment in vehicles sold in the United States by the following manufacturers: American Honda Motor Co.; Audi USA; BMW of North America; Mercedes Benz USA LLC; Saab; Toyota Motor Engineering & Manfufacturing; and Volkswagen Group of America. From October 2015 through January 2016, Takata has been conducting testing and analysis on PSDI-5 inflators. Ballistic tests have resulted in 4 ruptured inflators and 6 tests with abnormally high internal pressures. The live dissection results have shown zero anomalies.
NHTSA stated in a Takata recall announcement that it estimates that these expanded recalls will affect roughly 5 million vehicles made by Audi, BMW, Daimler Vans, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Saab, and Volkswagen. As of today, the additional affected makes, models, and model years have not been added to the already long list of affected vehicles maintained on the NHTSA website. We will provide this information when it becomes available.
As of today, Ford has informed NHTSA that this expanded recall affects more than 360,000 Ford Ranger trucks from model years 2004-2006, Recall 16V-036.
“Ford has notified NHTSA that the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) included in these recalls are now available on NHTSA’s VIN look-up tool or the manufacturer’s Web site, so consumers can use the VIN look-up to check if their vehicle is affected. If your vehicle is included in this recall, follow up with the manufacturer to get interim guidance.”
Do You Have a Lawsuit?
Our law firm is investigating this recall and can be contacted regarding a lawsuit against Takata and the vehicle manufacturer. To contact our firm, use our free lawsuit evaluation form or call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free). Find out if you can sue for personal injury or wrongful death and thereby hold Takata and others accountable. Your lawsuit will not be part of a class action because cases of serious injury and wrongful death need to be sued out individually.
