Recalls
Recalls

Takata advertising ramps up as industry chases recall stragglers

Between 500,000 and 700,000 vehicles on Australian roads are still fitted with potentially deadly Takata airbag inflators.


The peak automotive body in Australia is ramping up its push to get potentially deadly Takata airbags replaced, launching a new advertising campaign.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) will roll out a new advertising campaign pushing owners of at-risk cars to check if their airbag inflator needs replacing.

Between 500,000 and 700,000 vehicles on Australian roads are still fitted with potentially deadly Takata airbag inflators.

More than three million vehicles were originally included in the mandatory recall, and the FCAI says more than seven million people have visited www.ismyairbagsafe.com since it went live in July 2018.

Advertisements from the FCAI were also rolled out in July last year, and featured on television, radio, newspapers, online and social media.

A combination of heat and humidity can make the propellant in Takata airbag inflators degrade over time. In an accident where the airbags deploy, metal fragments could shoot into the cabin, posing a serious risk of injury or death to passengers. Older cars in hot, humid climates are most likely to be affected by the fault.

There are 24 reported deaths and more than 260 injuries from faulty inflators worldwide. One Australian motorist was killed by a Takata airbag in July 2017, while another was seriously injured in June of the same year.

“Our manufacturers have made tremendous progress in replacing faulty airbags. They have rectified more than two million vehicles,” said Tony Weber, FCAI CEO.

“Many owners of outstanding vehicles have simply overlooked the need to check the status of their vehicles," he later added. "Many others may erroneously believe that a faulty airbag will not affect them."

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