Toyota announced today that it has identified more of its cars that are included in the Takata airbag recall, the largest defective product recall in history. So far, over 2.9 million Toyota vehicles have been named in the recall.
The most recent recall includes:
- 2003 to 2007 Corolla and Corolla Matrix
- 2005 to 2006 Tundra
- 2005 to 2007 Sequoia
- 2003 to 2007 Lexus SC430.
Automakers included in the recall are
- BMW
- Chrysler
- Daimler Trucks
- Ford
- General Motors
- Honda (also includes passenger side
airbags) - Mazda
- Mitsubishi
- Nissan
- Subaru
- Toyota
Toyota’s announcement comes just after Honda announced that it is also expanding its recall. The total number of vehicles added to the original recall is 2.9 million. Originally, Takata only recalled approximataely 17 million vehicles, claiming that the only vehicles affected were those that were driven in areas with high humidity (think: Florida, Texas and Louisiana), but after further pressure from the NHSTA, Takata finally admitted that no one driving a car with defective design is safe and issued the order for 34 million cars to be recalled.
Remind Me Again, What’s Wrong With Takata Airbags?
The Takata airbag recall is of utmost urgency. Reports from testing have indicated that the propellant can potentially deteriorate as it ages, which could lead to explosive combustion when the airbag deploys. If this occurs, the airbag housing could rupture and send pieces of metal throughout the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Injuries include lacerations especially to the face and neck and death.
One accident scene was so horrific that investigating officers mistook the accident for a homicide, believing that the victim had been stabbed in the neck. The investigation went so far that a “person of interest” was named before police realized that shrapnel from the airbag was at fault for the lacerations to the victims neck that eventually caused her death.
More than 100 injuries and six fatalities have been linked to the exploding airbags.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, call Product Liability lawyer, Paul Thomson, of The Thomson Law Firm for a free consultation. (540) 777-4900
