Owners Of These Cars Need To Get Their Airbags Checked ASAP
The saga of the exploding Takata air bags continues.
By John Lim — 28 Jun 2016, 05:35 PM
On 26 June, an airbag made by Japanese auto supplier Takata caused the death of a woman when she got into a minor collision at Kota Damansara
According to automotive news site PaulTan, a collision between a Honda City and Mercedes-Benz happened on 26 June at Kota Damansara. The 44-year-old driver of the Honda City died after a shrapnel pierced her in the chest.
Although the official cause of death has not been determined yet, Honda Malaysia has since confirmed that the Takata airbag built into the steering wheel had exploded
Honda has confirmed during an inspection with the Royal Malaysia Police that the Takata single stage (SDI) driver’s airbag inflator ruptured in the crash of a 2005 Honda City on June 26, 2016 in Selangor state.
The vehicle involved in this crash was included in a Malaysian Product Update (recall) announced on May 21, 2015, requiring replacement of the SDI inflator of the Takata driver’s front airbag.
Since 2015, this vehicle involved in this crash has been included in both driver’s Takata airbag inflator and passenger’s Takata airbag inflator recalls. Three mailed recall notices related to those recalls were sent to the owner. Our records indicate that the recall repair was never completed.
honda.com.my
The 14th death that has been tied to the ruptures of Takata-made airbag inflaters, which is currently at a mass worldwide recall. While most of the fatalities took place in the USA, four have now taken place in Malaysia.
Two crashes involving Takata airbags in April and May this year resulted in the death of two drivers. It has been reported that they died of neck injuries caused by propellants in the airbags.
Why do Takata airbags keep exploding?
According to science company Orbital ATK, the first cause is the material used to inflate the airbag - ammonium nitrate, which can go bad when exposed to high heat and humidity.
The second cause relates to a lack of moisture-absorbing substance within the inflator that helps to protect the ammonium nitrate. Finally, the inflator assemblies do not sufficiently protect the contents within from humidity. Combine those three factors, and you've got a perfect storm of worst-case scenarios.
Well, sounds like bad news for us because it's hot and humid all year round here in Malaysia!
The Takata airbag issue is something serious and shouldn't be ignored by Malaysian drivers. Below is a list of car brands that are currently recalling vehicles affected by faulty Takata airbags:
1. Honda
For Honda car owners, you can use the online VIN checker to check if your car is affected. Your VIN number should be located in your JPJ registration or insurance cover under 'No.chasis.' The latest recall for Honda Malaysia this time involves models manufactured from 2003 to 2011.
Last week, Honda Malaysia has recalled over 100k vehicles to replace faulty front passenger airbags. For more info, head to Honda Malaysia's official website or call 1800-88-2020.
2. Toyota
Last year, Toyota Malaysia recalled close to 30k vehicles on the road for faulty Takada airbags. The models include the Toyota Vios, Corolla Altis, Yaris, Camry and RAV 4 manufactured in April 2007 to December 2008.
If you own any of the models mentioned above, you should call Toyota Malaysia at 1800-8-869682 with your VIN number ready.
3. Mazda
Mazda Malaysia has started its recall initiative earlier this month, calling owners of Mazda 6 (GG) manufactured between 2003 to 2007 and Mazda BT-50 (J97M) manufactured between 2006 to 2011 to have their airbags replaced.
You can key in your VIN number here check if your car is affected. Alternatively, you could call Mazda Malaysia at 03-7627-8999 for more details.
4. Nissan
Nissan Malaysia recalled over 12k vehicles last year as part of its Takata recall programme. The affected models are the T30 X-Trail CKD, J31 Teana CBU, and M12 Liberty CBU.
If you have any questions, you can call the help centre at 1800 88 3838. As usual, have your VIN number ready.
5. Subaru
PaulTan reported that Subaru Malaysia has confirmed that vehicles in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines and Thailand are affected by the recall. Representatives from the company will be calling up affected drivers to have their airbags replaced.
You can also head to Subaru Malaysia's official website for more information.
6. Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Malaysia has recalled two of its models thus far - the Mitsubishi Lancer, manufactured between 2004 to 2006 and the Mitsubishi Triton, manufactured between 2006 to 2014.
You can check if your car is affected by checking the recall status with the VIN here. If you prefer to speak over the phone, call the hotline at 1-800-18-6611.
Take note guys! Don't delay getting your cars checked because safety always comes first!
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