Defective Product Update: Takata Airbags and Jeep Rollaway Recalls

This spring we posted about the massive Takata airbag recall - the largest automotive recall ever in U.S. history. Well, it just keeps getting bigger.

In case you haven't yet heard of this issue, airbags manufactured by the Takata Corporation based in Japan have defective inflator and propellant devices that may shoot metal fragments into occupants when they deploy improperly. The airbags have been linked to 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries in auto accidents in the U.S. To date, 34 million vehicles are affected from 6 automakers in the U.S. alone, with 7 million more worldwide.

When Toyota issued its own airbag recall in June, more automakers did the same. Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) forced additional regional recalls and gathered removed parts to send to Takata for analysis from Florida, Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands because of the high humidity in those climates.

Getting the problem fixed continues to be a big problem. There is a huge backlog of new airbags because so few companies make them. And that's not all - incredibly, more than 60% of the faulty Takata airbag inflators are being replaced with new inflators from Takata that will eventually have to be recalled, according to a recent congressional report. Technically, these replacements are not faulty yet because they are new and the problems occur with age and exposure to heat and humidity. There is currently no law preventing the use of new Takata airbags.

After the high-profile death of young actor Anton Yelchin, famous for his portrayal of Chekhov in the Star Trek reboot series, Fiat Chrysler is speeding up the recall of 1.1 million recalled vehicles like the Jeep Grand Cherokee that allegedly pinned the actor, leading to his death.

The identified vehicles need a software update that will add an "auto park" feature that will prevent drivers from inadvertently failing to put the transmission into park before leaving the vehicle.

Vehicles like Yelchin's were already under recall. An NHTSA investigation revealed that the shifter design is a safety issue that has already led to dozens of injuries in hundreds of crashes.

Vehicle owners can check this NHTSA recall site for complete lists of recalled vehicles due to any problem.

The experienced attorneys of the Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria, P.A. have the right expertise to fight for the compensation you deserve if you have been injured in a car accident or by a defective product. Please call us for a free consultation. Attorney Diana Santa Maria, personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale, will fight to secure justice for you and your family. You can reach us at (954) 434-1077 or contact us via the website.