In September 2013, Stephanie Erdman’s life changed forever when her 2002 Honda Civic collided with another vehicle on the way to a local grocery store in Florida. While Erdman’s passenger suffered only scrapes and bruises, she’s undergone a number of surgeries – with more to come – after being struck by shrapnel from her vehicle’s ruptured Takata airbag. Erdman’s story, and the graphic photos of her accident and injuries, took center stage Thursday morning during a Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation hearing addressing the airbag defects that have now been linked to at least five deaths. [More]
Takata
Takata “Deeply Sorry” To Those Affected By Defective Airbags, Still Reluctant On Nationwide Recall
By 11.20.14
NHTSA Pushes For National Recall Of Takata Airbags
By 11.19.14
In the past year, nearly 10 million vehicles have been recalled in areas of high humidity – generally the southern United States – related to defective Takata-produced airbags. That number could increase significantly now that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has urged the Japanese auto parts maker and car manufacturers to expand the recall to cover the entire United States. [More]
Ford Expands Ranger Recall By Nearly 10,000 Trucks Over Takata Airbag Defect
By 11.17.14
The number of vehicles affected by potentially defective Takata airbags continues to grow. This time it comes from Ford, with the manufacturer expanding its previous recall regarding the Ranger pickup truck, bringing the total number of affected trucks to 23,713. [More]
Takata Officials Say Company Is Subject Of Criminal Investigation Over Defective Airbags
By 11.13.14
Japanese auto parts maker Takata, which already faces several lawsuits and investigations by U.S. regulators regarding its production of potentially defective airbags that have been linked to five deaths, is now the subject of a U.S. criminal investigation. [More]
Takata, Honda Subjects Of Class-Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Airbag Tests, Destroyed Documents
By 11.11.14
It was only a matter of time before Takata, the company responsible for the deadly airbag defect that resulted in nearly 16 million vehicles being recalled, faced a lawsuit regarding the company’s allegedly hidden tests of defective airbags and the years-long coverup that ensued. [More]
Takata Allegedly Knew About Airbag Defect 10 Years Ago, Senators Urge Criminal Investigation
By 11.7.14
With 16 million vehicles recalled, a number of lawsuits and several investigations already underway related to defective Takata-produced airbags, lawmakers are urging the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation into the Japanese auto parts maker following revelations that the company knew off issues four years prior to the first recall. [More]
NHTSA Gives Honda Until December 15 To Turn Over All Communications About Takata Airbag Defect, Recalls
By 11.6.14
Federal regulators have increased their scrutiny over Honda’s actions related to the millions of vehicles recalled because of Takata airbag defects. Two days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it would look into Honda’s reporting process, the regulators have asked the car maker to submit even more documentation including all communications the company had with the airbag supplier. [More]
Nissan Recalls 1,848 Infiniti Vehicles Over Defective Takata Airbags
By 10.31.14
The number of vehicles recalled related to defective Takata airbags increased by more than 1,000 vehicles Friday, as Nissan issued a recall of luxury Infiniti vehicles. [More]
Used Car Dealer Suspending Sales Of Vehicles Affected By Takata Airbag Recall
By 10.29.14
Although it’s not illegal for used car dealers to sell recalled vehicles, one of the nation’s largest pre-owned dealers announced it would suspend the sale of cars with the potentially deadly Takata airbag defect that has so far been linked to four deaths and 30 injuries in the United States. [More]
First Class-Action Suit Filed Against Takata Over Airbag Defects
By 10.28.14
With nearly 8 million vehicles recalled, 30 injuries and at least four deaths linked to potentially defective Takata airbags, it should come as no surprise that the Japanese auto parts maker would face its fair share of lawsuits from consumers. [More]
Maker Of Airbags Linked To 8M Recalled Vehicles Used Unusual Chemical Explosive For Inflation
By 10.27.14
Takata, the Japanese/German auto-parts maker, that supplied airbags used in millions of recalled vehicles employed an unusual explosive chemical to inflate the safety devices, which may have contributed to the spraying of metal shrapnel at vehicle passengers. [More]
NHTSA Urges Owners Of Vehicles With Defective Airbags To Get Them Fixed, Even Though No Parts Are Available
By 10.21.14
Federal safety regulators are asking millions of vehicle owners to immediately fix their defective airbags, but it may do little to actually remedy the problem. With more than 14 million cars equipped with faulty Takata airbags, car manufacturers say they don’t have enough replacement parts on hand, meaning consumers consumers will have to wait and decide for themselves whether they want to keep driving affected vehicles. [More]
Toyota Expands Defective Airbag Recall To 247,000 Additional Vehicles In High Humidity Areas
By 10.20.14
Just days after it was revealed that defective Takata-produced airbags had been linked to three deaths in the United States, Toyota Motor Corp. expanded its recall of vehicles that may employ the safety devices to include 247,000 additional cars. [More]
Honda To Audit Reporting Inaccuracies After Third Takata Airbag Death Linked To Company
By 10.17.14
Car manufacturers are required under law to report death and injury claims to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those figures allow the regulatory agency to identify potentially fatal and dangerous defects. New reports show that might not have been the case for Honda Motor Corp., whose vehicles have now been linked to three fatalities related to defective airbags. [More]
General Motors Reportedly Launching Cars That Detect Distracted Driving
By 9.2.14
For years, laws have been put into place to discourage distracted driving: no texting while driving, no talking on the phone while driving, the list goes on. General Motors is taking things a step further by commissioning a vehicle that detects and alerts drivers to their distracted behavior. [More]
Nissan Expands Recall For Vehicles With Possibly Defective Takata Airbags
By 7.28.14
In a year marred by vehicle recalls, Nissan remained relatively under the radar with fewer than 500,000 cars recalled. But that changed on Saturday when the car company expanded a previous recall over defective Takata-produced airbags, bringing its total to more than 664,000. [More]
GM Halts Sale Of Chevy Cruze Over Airbag Concerns; Recall Possible
By 6.26.14
General Motors is once again telling dealers to stop sales of existing inventory of the Chevy Cruze, which has already been the subject of a recall this year over drive shaft issues. This time, the car maker says some 33,000 of these cars could have airbags that were assembled with the wrong part. [More]
Mazda, Honda And Nissan Issue Recalls Of Nearly 3 Million Vehicles Related To Faulty Airbag Deployment
By 6.23.14
Nearly 3 million more Nissan, Mazda and Honda vehicles have been recalled related to potentially faulty, and painful, airbag deployment issues that are currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. [More]
