After recalling over 33 million vehicles worldwide for defective Takata airbags, one might assume that the recall was extensive enough to have covered all of the vehicles that contained these dangerous exploding devices.
But alas, the NHTSA and vehicle manufacturer Ford missed a few vehicles and on December 22, 2015, a 52 year old South Carolina man lost his life in an accident he should have walked away from. Joel Knight was driving a 2006 Ford Ranger when he struck a cow on the road. An accident that could happen just about anywhere in rural America. Even though it was a minor crash, the airbag deployed, and the casing exploded with such force that it sent a metal shard through the victim’s spinal cord, killing him.
The victim’s Ford Ranger was equipped with an SDI (Smokeless Driver Inflator) airbag manufactured by Takata. The same defective airbag was blamed for the July 2014 death of a pregnant woman in Malaysia driving a 2003 Honda. After that accident, Honda and Toyota voluntarily recalled its vehicles with SDI airbags, but Ford did not. In November of 2014, after the NHTSA’s request, Ford recalled the 2004-2005 Rangers but limited the recall to vehicles originally sold in areas with high humidity, Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
And then again, in 2015 Ford expanded the recall to cover passenger side airbags in the 2004-2006 Ranger models. They never recalled the driver’s side and a 52 year old man died three days before Christmas.
On January 26,2016 Ford expanded the airbag recall to include the 2004-2006 Ford Ranger models. The recall is nationwide.
In an effort to prevent further tragedy, Honda Corporation announced that it will be recalling several of its cars not originally included in previous announcements.
Affected Honda and Acura vehicles may include:
- CR-V crossover (2007-2011)
- CR-Z coupe (2011-2015)
- Fit (2009-2014)
- Insight hybrid (2010-2014)
- Ridgeline (2007-2014)
- Honda FCX Clarity (2010-2014).
Acura models in the recall include:
- RL (2005-2012)
- TL (2009-2014)
- ZDX (2010-2013)
- ILX (2013-2016)
- RDX (2007-2016)
- ILX and RDX (not all 2016)
Because not all the cars in the model years that are listed will be included in the recall. Honda is advising owners to begin checking their VIN numbers after February 15, 2016.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident involving a defective airbag, call The Thomson Law Firm today for a free consultation.
