The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has just announced that an additional 78,000 cars currently on Australian roads may still be fitted with defective Takata airbag systems.
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), these faulty airbag systems are fitted with a certain inflator, NADI 5-AT, which could mis-deploy in an accident and spray shrapnel at very high speed, causing severe injury or death. The inflator is said to become unstable over time and was not included in the original recall.
The ACCC has identified early-model Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Eunos (Mazda), Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Toyota vehicles manufactured between 1996 and 2000 as being at risk. Owners of these vehicles are strongly encouraged to check the Takata industry website www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au and follow the new link to the ACCC website.
Both the ACCC and FCAI are working to update www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au once all affected VIN’s are known. Additionally, owners who have previously checked their vehicles are strongly advised to re-check now as their vehicle may have been recently added. It is imperative that owners do so.
“Manufacturers and dealers are required to replace the unsafe airbags free of charge and an ACCC statement said it had not received any reports of consumers being charged for the replacement of their airbags” commented ABC News on the issue.
Since the beginning of 2018, car manufacturers have replaced a total of 3.5 million airbags in more than 2.5 million vehicles across Australia. We advise owners to have their cars checked immediately and to contact their nearest dealership for more information.
