Chinese officials are pressuring GM, VW and Mercedes to recall vehicles with faulty Takata airbags.
Takata’s airbag problem is now following some automakers around the globe. Officials in China are pushing General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen to issue recalls for vehicles in that country equipped with the faulty airbags.
The airbag inflators become unstable over time causing them to explode with too much force sending shrapnel into the vehicle cabin. The problem has been blamed for 16 deaths and more than 180 injuries worldwide.
While a full-on effort is ongoing in the U.S. to replace faulty units, in China the three makers are suggesting a recall for a small number of vehicles to conduct tests instead of a full recall, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
China’s watchdog organization said it met the carmakers’ representatives, urging them to meet their legal obligations and recall those vehicles immediately.
(What does Takata sale and airbag recall mean to you? Click Here to find out.)
It estimated that more than 20 million vehicles in China were equipped with the airbags. Of 37 car manufacturers affected by the faulty airbag in China, 24 had already recalled 10.59 million cars by the end of June while another five had made plans to recall a further 1.26 million vehicles, Reuters reported.
In the U.S., the recall has impacted 42 million vehicles from 19 manufacturers. The supplier incurred more than $1 billion in penalties and other costs. The problem ultimately caused Takata to file bankruptcy in the U.S. and Japan, its home country.
(Click Here for more about Takata’s bankruptcy filings.)
Key Safety Systems bought Takata’s primary assets in a deal that is expected to accelerate the replacement of the faulty airbags in the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The latest government data shows only about 38% of the vehicles with defective Takata Airbags have yet been repaired.
One reason is a shortage of replacement inflators, something expected to be addressed by the bankruptcy sale. But the other challenge is finding the owners of all the vehicles covered by the recall. They tend to be older models that may have been sold several times, making the process difficult.
(Not all airbag recalls involve Takata. Click Here for more.)
The sale “will accelerate the removal of dangerous airbag inflators,” said Peter Prieto, the court-appointed Chair Lead Counsel for many of the consumer plaintiffs taking legal action as a result of the Takata problem. Along with going after Takata itself, many have filed lawsuits against the automakers that have used the supplier’s airbags. Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and BMW have already reached settlements, but other cases are pending.