With last year’s Takata defective airbag recall barely completed, the National Highway Federal Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced new recalls on those same airbags.
The NHTSA announcement includes more than 2 million vehicles across the country. The problem is inadvertent airbag deployment. In these vehicles, there is a problem with crash sensors that could cause the airbags to deploy without any reason. Such accidental deployment could seriously increase a person’s risk of an injury.
According to the NHTSA, all of the vehicles included in this recall were earlier recalled for the same problem. The company’s previous fixes failed to remedy the problem, which had to do with sensors manufactured by TRW Automotive.
What is the problem?
According to the NHTSA, the defect seems to exist in an electronic sensor. The defect causes inadvertent deployment even when an accident has not occurred. The agency has identified 400 cases of accidental deployment involving these vehicles. It is also aware that at least 39 deployments occurred in vehicles that previously had the fix.
Out of the 39 inadvertent deployments, three resulted in these injuries.
- Eye injury
- Scratches
- Burns
This list is only a fraction of common airbag injuries. The NHTSA has not received any information about fatalities linked to this defect.
Models Affected by the Airbag Recall
The NHTSA has included the following types of vehicles in its new airbag recall.
• Acura MDX
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Dodge Viper
• Jeep Liberty
• Toyota Corolla
• Pontiac Vibe
• Honda ODC
• Toyota Avalon
• Toyota Matrix
All of the models included in the recall are from model years 2002 through 2004.
What You Should Do
If you own one of the vehicles included in this recall, call the NHTSA on its hotline number at 888-327-4236. You can also call your local dealer for more information about this problem.
Toyota owners can call 800-331-4331 for more information, while Fiat Chrysler is asking owners of vehicles included in this recall to call 800- 853-1403.
If you were injured in an accident caused by inadvertent airbag deployment or any other airbag defect, speak with car accident lawyer Michael Saile. Call 215 -717-8471 to speak with attorney Saile, or fill out the online form and schedule a consultation.
