This is the estimate of the global number of vehicles involved in the scandal. The American body NHTSA reports more than 400 injuries and 27 deaths in the USA. In May alone, 600,000 cars were recalled
Chiara Marchisio
June 2, 2024 (changed at 10:10) – MILAN
Defective airbags that can kill. The Takata scandal continues to show its effects 15 years after the first accidents linked to the safety devices produced by the Japanese company. The latest recall dates back to May 17, 2024 and involves approximately 600,000 Citroën C3 and DS3 models produced between 2009 and 2019 that are fitted with the airbag model that has killed, to date, at least 27 people in the United States and injured more of 400.
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In the 90s the Takata starts producing airbags. They are smaller and less expensive than others on the market, so manufacturers often choose them for their cars. In the early 2000s we began to suspect that some cases of Drivers injured after violent airbag deployment are connected to the Japanese company. In the 2008 Honda begins the recall saga. There are thousands of vehicles involved, but it is not enough. In 2009 an American high school girl bleeds to death due to a metal splinter coming from gas canister which is used to inflate the airbag in the event of an accident. It turns out that Takata uses a different chemical than other brands, the ammonium nitrate. It costs less than the more common tetrazole, but, without a drying agent, in certain hot and humid conditions it reaches such a high pressure that the canister containing it explodes, even in apparently minor accidents.
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The NHTSA, the American transport safety agency, opens and closes a series of investigations, first into Honda, then Takata directly. The number of vehicles to be recalled increases. Among others, there are also those Ford, BMW, Mazda, Citroën and Toyota, for a total of eleven manufacturers involved. Every model needs to change the airbag as a precaution and the economic impact is huge. In the 2017 Takata goes bankrupt, leaving debts of 8 billion euros and 46,000 employees without jobs. The NHTSA reports, to date, 45 million airbags replaced in the USA alone, while in Tokyo they estimate that the cars involved could be worldwide 100 million and the numbers seem destined to grow. So how can you determine if your car has one of these faulty devices? You can check on the official website of the manufacturers, while if you receive a recall notice you must follow the instructions provided.
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