Dealers should be mandated that the sale window stickers describing the vehicle features also include the name of the installed airbags manufacturers. After the sales of those cars fitted Takata airbags plummet the manufacturers of those makes or models would ensure their vehicles are fitted with safe, well tested, alternatives.
4
Would it be possible to require automakers to disable Takata airbags, if requested by auto owners (at no cost to the owners)? Drivers and passengers would still be protected by seat/shoulder belts.
3
The probability of being killed by lightning is about 1 in 160,000. The probability of being injured by a Takata airbag is 1 in 1,000,000, and of being killed, 1 in 10,000,000.
This misuses probability, for it assumes that the odds will stay constant over time. Because Takata's airbags apparently are sensitive to relative humidity, they may deteriorate over time.
5
They may deteriorate without a mishap. As of now, the odds are what I indicated. Should another injury occur, the increase in probability will be negligible.
My Pontiac Vibe was recalled for this. I called multiple times, dealerships, GM, Toyota. They all say the part is not available. I don't know what to do. How can I get this fixed when nobody has the part to fix it?
3
My husband has a Ford Ranger that is on the recall list, however it has not been recalled. He went to a Ford dealership last week to have a new airbag installed, and was told they do not have new airbags available yet!!!! Oh my gosh. He is going to call several dealerships tomorrow (Feb 2nd) and if none of them can replace his airbag, could they at least take the Takata one out. And if they can't do that, he is going to demand a loaner to use, or a promise to pay for a rental car. Anyone care to guess how this is going to turn out?? :(
4
Sadly, it will likely take the death of a Congressman's child resulting from a faulty airbag to get the situation dealt with properly, both in terms of criminal liability and appropriate compensation for victims.
Sadly, people consciously made decisions to create and cover up the creation of known lethal airbags. They should be held accountable, likely with a R.I.C.O. prosecution along with individual culpability. There are sufficient extradition treaties to bring here for trial any parties who are currently abroad, whether Americans or foreign nationals.
Sadly, with a Justice Department reticent to hold corporations or their executives genuinely accountable, and a Congress unconscionably refusing to support regulatory enforcement, class action suits would appear to be the only legal recourse for millions of Americans, suits against all the entities which produced, knowingly distributed, or have failed to remedy the lethal airbags.
Sadly, in the current political and legal climate, it may be necessary for large numbers of victims and their supporters to engage in direct actions -- picketing or organizing boycotts of auto dealers, picketing the homes and offices of responsible individuals, or a hundred other things -- to get the ball rolling on this. That appears to be the only way left to deal with corporate entities that are deemed "too big to be held accountable" by those we elect and pay to hold them accountable.
Sadly, people consciously made decisions to create and cover up the creation of known lethal airbags. They should be held accountable, likely with a R.I.C.O. prosecution along with individual culpability. There are sufficient extradition treaties to bring here for trial any parties who are currently abroad, whether Americans or foreign nationals.
Sadly, with a Justice Department reticent to hold corporations or their executives genuinely accountable, and a Congress unconscionably refusing to support regulatory enforcement, class action suits would appear to be the only legal recourse for millions of Americans, suits against all the entities which produced, knowingly distributed, or have failed to remedy the lethal airbags.
Sadly, in the current political and legal climate, it may be necessary for large numbers of victims and their supporters to engage in direct actions -- picketing or organizing boycotts of auto dealers, picketing the homes and offices of responsible individuals, or a hundred other things -- to get the ball rolling on this. That appears to be the only way left to deal with corporate entities that are deemed "too big to be held accountable" by those we elect and pay to hold them accountable.
6
This is Chris Rouen (quoted in the article). I am not a gadfly. I am a GE retiree. I know corporate irresponsibility when I see it. I ordered a new Ford Mustang for my wife. 19 months later I received a Recall Notice stating: “can cause injury or death”. I called the owner of the dealership for a loaner. He said: “your car is safe to drive, you are overthinking this, and it is only a problem IF YOUR WIFE GETS IN AN ACCIDENT.” I am not joking! I called Ford Consumer Relations. The supervisor would only read a script stating “Your car is safe to drive.” I then complained to SC Consumer Protection. Ford Legal replied: “the car is safe to drive”. SC Consumer Protection closed the complaint over my protest. I then complained to Congressman Duncan who contacted the NHSTA. They responded: “the car is safe to drive.” The complaint was closed over my protest. Contrast this with comments from NHSTA and Ford (NY Times 1/22 article). NHSTA: “THIS IS A MASSIVE SAFETY CRISIS”. Ford: “we take prompt action to address customer safety.” Think about what they have told/written me and think about all the powerless single mothers out there with children who continue to drive their recalled cars because they have to put food on the table! What is cheaper? Providing rentals or settling a few injury and death claims? We all know the answer. Do you think Ford executives are driving questionable vehicles? Cut to the heart of the issue. Plain and simple...Ford Corporate arrogance risking lives.
18
It is a tragedy that a number of people were injured or died when their airbags deployed. Unfortunately your reporting is biased and it is missing crucial data to the point of being misleading. After reading it I have no idea whether I am better off with a Takata air-bag, should I replace it (in case I have one), or simply disable my air-bag altogether. The issue is far more subtle than your article indicates.
At the bare minimum you should have addressed the following:
1. How many of these (and others) airbags deployed in the last decade?
2. How many of these events occurred during accidents with speeds over 50 mph, head-on collisions, etc., i.e. how many lives were possibly saved?
3. Is it possible to make a better air-bag? In other words, are these "faulty" airbags more deadly than other air-bags that do not kill drivers but do not not prevent accident related deaths either.
At the bare minimum you should have addressed the following:
1. How many of these (and others) airbags deployed in the last decade?
2. How many of these events occurred during accidents with speeds over 50 mph, head-on collisions, etc., i.e. how many lives were possibly saved?
3. Is it possible to make a better air-bag? In other words, are these "faulty" airbags more deadly than other air-bags that do not kill drivers but do not not prevent accident related deaths either.
4
It is only in this country's Corporatocracy would this be okay. Only in this country's worship of the "market" and it's profits would this be okay. Only in this country's warped sense of government and regulation would this be okay. What a feeling of hopefulness this engenders. What a society where the government is more concerned about big corporations profits than the safety of it's citizens.
4
Err.... , Takata is a Japanese company. Toyota is a Japanese company. Audi is European. Mitsubishi is a Japanese company. BMW is European.
Volkswagen (European) purposely built cars to cheat the emissions testing systems so as to pollute more but please drivers who valued "performance."
It is capitalism and government cooperation with it worldwide that is at fault, not just America.
Volkswagen (European) purposely built cars to cheat the emissions testing systems so as to pollute more but please drivers who valued "performance."
It is capitalism and government cooperation with it worldwide that is at fault, not just America.
3
Even more irresponsible than Takata is the NTSB's failure to compile and put on-line a simple, complete list of affected vehicles. The board must have thousands of employees and a budget in the millions, so couldn't it spare two or three workers for an afternoon to provide such a list? Surely they could skip the long lunch and then settling in to watch porno on their computers for one day.
3
My editor, aka my wife, says I meant to say the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is derelict, not the NTSB, Whatever. Anyone in D.C. will do.
2
Like most "big-government" regulatory agencies, those that deal with car safety have been defunded by Congress and are probably staffed by people from the car industry. With Congress's bad attitude toward government regulations, and without sufficient funds, it's impossible for regulators to do much regulating.
6
Well, I'll try again since my last reply was not published.
Your characterization of government workers is actually quite reprehensible. Whatever you think of the NHTSA--and I agree that information on all vehicles, not just recalled vehicles, with these airbags should be available--you are protected or served by government bureaucrats everyday. Fly? FAA. Retired, disabled? Social Security. On Medicare? CMS. Drive? DOT. Have student loans or kids with loans? DoEd. Sick? NIH.
As far as workers viewing porn...the firewalls in Washington federal agencies are actually quite good. My guess is there are a lot more viewers of porn in offices in the private sector. But, then again, maybe you know that...
Your characterization of government workers is actually quite reprehensible. Whatever you think of the NHTSA--and I agree that information on all vehicles, not just recalled vehicles, with these airbags should be available--you are protected or served by government bureaucrats everyday. Fly? FAA. Retired, disabled? Social Security. On Medicare? CMS. Drive? DOT. Have student loans or kids with loans? DoEd. Sick? NIH.
As far as workers viewing porn...the firewalls in Washington federal agencies are actually quite good. My guess is there are a lot more viewers of porn in offices in the private sector. But, then again, maybe you know that...
3
The Federal Government mandated "passive restraints" - airbags - years ago because so many people were too lazy or too stupid to use their seat belts. The "nanny state" wasn't going to let people choose to risk death or injury by avoiding seat belt use, so they required automakers to install air bags. in 2009 a young driver, probably texting, drove into the front of my wife's car in a parking lot. The low speed accident barely damaged her car, but it set off the air bags. The steering wheel air bag fractured her arm in four places, requiring multiple surgeries. She now has two plates in her arm. She was wearing her seat belt, as she always does, and if not for the air bag she would have been fine, probably not even shaken up. BTW, the cost to replace the two air bags also made the car economically unrepairable although it had only 44,000 miles on it.
Even when the air bags work as designed they break arms, kill shorter drivers, cause blindness, black eyes, break jaws, knock out teeth. If the Federal Government ever did a cost/benefit study they would drop the air bag requirement, but that would be an admission of how wrong the air requirement is.
The fix is very easy. Simply remove the air bag fuse(s), which can be identified in your owner's manual. Takes one minute and costs nothing. The air bag warning light will glow on your dashboard, a friendly reminder that the bombs planted a foot in front of the driver's and passenger's faces have been safely disarmed.
Even when the air bags work as designed they break arms, kill shorter drivers, cause blindness, black eyes, break jaws, knock out teeth. If the Federal Government ever did a cost/benefit study they would drop the air bag requirement, but that would be an admission of how wrong the air requirement is.
The fix is very easy. Simply remove the air bag fuse(s), which can be identified in your owner's manual. Takes one minute and costs nothing. The air bag warning light will glow on your dashboard, a friendly reminder that the bombs planted a foot in front of the driver's and passenger's faces have been safely disarmed.
6
Don't forget ribs--that takes a long time to heal and not without a fair amount of discomfort. It is hard to say if I'd have been better or worse off if the airbag in my car had not deployed. It felt like an explosion. It's fair to say it has left me with a bit of anxiety over airbags.
4
So, I just looked in my owner's book to identify the fuse(s) that protect the air bag circuitry. My car is a 2006 Toyota Prius, a hybrid vehicle. The fuse is identified as fuse number 22, 7.5 amps. The systems it protects are: Hybrid system, hybrid vehicle immobilizer system, SRS airbags. So much for that. Without this fuse, the vehicle is inoperable, since the hybrid system is the propulsion system for the car. It might be ok without the hybrid system immobilizer (theft protection), I don't know, but without the hybrid system the car is immobilized anyway.
I looked up your vehicle's fuse chart. There are, not surprisingly, an unusually large number - 50 - of fuses in this hybrid vehicle. There are several other fuses beside the one in slot 22 that protect the hybrid system. Pull fuse 22 and see if the car runs OK. If not, replace the fuse. It's extremely unlikely that you will damage anything that way. My cars, much less complex than hybrids, all have dedicated fuses for the SRS airbags. IMHO you run the risk of death or serious injury from the airbags, even if the inflaters aren't faulty. The NHTSA cure - airbags - is worse than the disease IF YOU WEAR YOUR SEATBELT AT ALL TIMES.
1
Old news, only 37 comments.
An unknown number of affected vehicles. Try to find out if your vehicle has an airbag with ammonium nitrate propellent. Unless you're already on the recalled list (worst recalled first procedure) you won't be able to even find out if your vehicle has a Takata airbag.
And new-vehicle purchasers are not safe either. Since there aren't enough safe airbags, new vehicles are still being built and sold to us with ammonium nitrate airbags.
Better a bad airbag than none, but this danger has been known for a dozen years. I'd love to see how much profit per unnecessary death was made. And how much profit per horrible injury.
An unknown number of affected vehicles. Try to find out if your vehicle has an airbag with ammonium nitrate propellent. Unless you're already on the recalled list (worst recalled first procedure) you won't be able to even find out if your vehicle has a Takata airbag.
And new-vehicle purchasers are not safe either. Since there aren't enough safe airbags, new vehicles are still being built and sold to us with ammonium nitrate airbags.
Better a bad airbag than none, but this danger has been known for a dozen years. I'd love to see how much profit per unnecessary death was made. And how much profit per horrible injury.
5
The real problem is they are not manufacturing enough replacement airbags to fix our cars, and the people who do get replacement airbags generally only newer Takata versions with the exact same faulty propellant (which will also then need to be recalled in a few years). We received the recall notice on my wife's Saab 9-2X (aka Subaru Impreza) more than a year and a half ago and we have diligently called both the old Saab dealer and the Subaru dealer every month since then. They have zero replacements in stock because they are solely prioritizing the most hot and humid regions of the country. Worst of all, Subaru, Honda and many other manufacturers continue to use these same Takata airbags in their new cars!! So much for Japanese reliability.
4
Disclaimer: Honda responded well, in my case anyway, by replacing both '04 Accord passenger and driver airbags, although separately. Both repairs/replacements were accomplished at the dealer with an appointment, while we waited less than 20 minutes in the lounge, so no 'loaner' was needed.
But I sympathize immensely with those Takata airbag car owners who may not even know they own an affected car. That is the fault of not just Takata, but of the regulators who refuse to hold the automakers who know which models are affected feet to the fire to notify their customers. If I had even an inkling that I was possibly driving an affected vehicle, I would either find a qualified mechanic who could tell me how to disable the airbag(s) or I would figure it out for myself. Then, I would dare my state regulator to find me at fault for not following auto airbag "safety guidelines" if I was found to have no workable 'airbags'. We have to do better than this, Washington. Get your act(s) together.
But I sympathize immensely with those Takata airbag car owners who may not even know they own an affected car. That is the fault of not just Takata, but of the regulators who refuse to hold the automakers who know which models are affected feet to the fire to notify their customers. If I had even an inkling that I was possibly driving an affected vehicle, I would either find a qualified mechanic who could tell me how to disable the airbag(s) or I would figure it out for myself. Then, I would dare my state regulator to find me at fault for not following auto airbag "safety guidelines" if I was found to have no workable 'airbags'. We have to do better than this, Washington. Get your act(s) together.
5
I received two recall notices - airbag and ignition switch. I called my local Honda dealer (Middlekauff in Twin Falls, ID) and made an appointment. They said it would take about 1.5 hours. I took a book with me and had been reading for 20 minutes when they told me my car was finished and ready to go. Polite, friendly, and efficient.
2
Alex it is true that cars are complex but in this case the probable cause has been identified. It is not that complicated a story. Takata used cheap ammonium nitrate as the propellant. Because this compound is inherently unstable they chemically modified the propellant to stabilize it. This gave them a significant competitive advantage. Unfortunately it turned out the stabilization does not last well enough. However, when their internal test results revealed the problem, Takata executives covered up the mistake. This is the crux of the problem. Takata covered up and made the problem much much worse. They lied to regulators and they lied to long time partners and customers like Honda. This allowed them to sell tens of millions of the defective units taking market share and making heaps of money. Eventually more units failed and the deaths and injuries became public. By now though there are more defective Takata Air bags than there is global manufacturing capacity to replace them in a timely fashion and the cost of recalling all of them is huge. More than Takata is willing to pay.
So this company should be treated like the asbestos manufacturers were: put into receivership, but kept in business with all profits going to repairs and compensation. The owners of the company pay the price for serious corporate misbehavior. They are out of luck and lose their investment.
As for criminal indictments, the USA is corrupt, rich executives usually get away with corporate manslaughter.
So this company should be treated like the asbestos manufacturers were: put into receivership, but kept in business with all profits going to repairs and compensation. The owners of the company pay the price for serious corporate misbehavior. They are out of luck and lose their investment.
As for criminal indictments, the USA is corrupt, rich executives usually get away with corporate manslaughter.
11
The original chemicals used to inflate airbags, are sodium azide and potassium nitrate.
1
For those who want to know whether their vehicle is subject to a recall, you should check safercar.gov, NHTSA's website that lists all the vehicles under recall orders.
1
But, sadly, the gentlemen killed in SC was driving a truck with the same type of airbag that has been recalled--but his truck was not included in the recall. NTSB has great information on its website--if your vehicle has been recalled. It also has a very good reporting system for safety problems. But if your vehicle has one of the airbags, but is not subject to recall, you are out of luck... unless it discharges and the metal pieces pop out and you live to report it to the NTSB.
2
Sorry meant NHTSA
Both my air bags have been recalled the 1st one on the 1st recall.My ford dealership sent me a letter but to this date it has not been fixed(stated they will contact me-never have);when I saw this second recall for the drivers side bag; I called and they now have me on the list- still no air bag(s) or schedule replacement.
My questions is this recall has millions recalled and where are all the air bags?How many more years and accidents waiting to happen....
My questions is this recall has millions recalled and where are all the air bags?How many more years and accidents waiting to happen....
3
I'd like to know whether my vehicle has a Takata airbag, and I'd like to disable the airbag if it does. There were a lot of years when we didn't have airbags. I'd rather take my chances as it seems the airbag is likely more dangerous than any other outcome.
4
Speaking of removing things: My car's antilock brakes started pulsing whenever I stopped, at all speeds, even during gentle braking in city traffic. I diagnosed this to be one or more defective "tone rings" on the axles. Very expensive to fix, so I removed the ABS fuse. Now I have conventional brakes, but without ABS. Oh, and the car is 17 years old, so the state inspection computer ignores the fact that the ABS dashboard light is always on. Just for the record, here is my favorite 6os car. SO beautiful!
http://www.iagclassics.com/carpages/1965-Buick-Skylark-GS-For-Sale.html
http://www.iagclassics.com/carpages/1965-Buick-Skylark-GS-For-Sale.html
1
Where are the U.S. regulators?
I agree with Kathleen Kenney that a comprehensive and definitive list of the makes and models of all cars that have this type of airbag must be made public. Regulators must require auto makers to notify owners and the public at large.
I agree with Kathleen Kenney that a comprehensive and definitive list of the makes and models of all cars that have this type of airbag must be made public. Regulators must require auto makers to notify owners and the public at large.
10
My daughter's car is part of the recall. The dealers cannot get the replacement parts. I wonder if people should be advised to remove the bags and just go without until replacement parts become widely accessible.
She is tired of me asking about it.
She is tired of me asking about it.
5
Takata and Ford committed a murder. The heads of both companies should be prosecuted. This is the only way to prevent the similar tragedies from happening again.
8
I heard a story about this on NPR the other day. They gave the names of websites that you can use to check to see if your car has the dangerous airbags. I am amazed that the NYT reporters didn't think to take the simple step of including links in the article, although perhaps they did and I missed it. Here are a few:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/10/everything-you-need-to-k...
http://www.safercar.gov/rs/takata/
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/10/everything-you-need-to-k...
http://www.safercar.gov/rs/takata/
6
I own a 2006 Honda Accord and drove it 180,000 miles prior to hearing about the recall and the deadly nature of the problem in this paper. I got my steering wheel airbag fixed in fall 2014 after a week and a half wait. Six months later I was told the passenger airbag needed to be replaced as well. It took them two weeks to replace that one. Honda left me hanging quite a while in humid central Florida. I consider myself lucky.
3
When air bags were first proposed to be required, at least one insurance company ran a negative ad: "Would you want an explosive with the power of a shotgun riding within inches of your face while driving?" I'm beginning to think they were right. Anyone know if you can legally get these things deactivated?
6
Your state's vehicle inspection computer may sense that you've disabled the airbag(s), so you may have to temporarily reconnect them, to pass inspection.
1
That was a silly ad. Would you rather be hit in the face with an airbag or smash the windshield with your face? Would you prefer being bruised or being dead?
First solution: The top five heads of the companies involved need to commit Hare Kari in the Japanese tradition of taking full responsibility for their failures and restore honor to their families. Next, all the vehicles with those airbags need to be hunted down and loaner cars given until they are fixed. Third, Congress passes a law that heads of American companies follow this method of accountability in similar cases where responsibility needs to be owned and not have it possible to shirk it by paying a fine, no matter how large.
8
Thanks for the informative article. Journalism that can save lives. If replacement air bags are also Takata, how can we trust that they will be any safer? Once trust is lost, it's difficult if not impossible to get it back. My 2005 Rav 4 has been recalled. But like many others I'm hesitating doing anything about it until I'm sure, if that's even possible, making the change won't make matters potentially worse.
8
A car with faulty and deadly airbags should not pass inspection until it is fixed, similarly to faulty brakes or any other failure. But common sense and honesty from the government is in short supply and the approach here is reminiscent to that of Flint with its poisonous water. People are dying and are injured and they still don't care. That is why exposing the truth through articles like this one is of vital importance.
13
it is huge mess and incompetence by automakers to be so off the wall about this issue. I jut rid of a Toyota I had and bought a VW Jetta without those airbag issues.I had one airbag replaced by Toyota the passenger side only with what? another Takata airbag with the same gas propellent. They are in total denial while people die and get hurt.
4
My 2002 Honda Accord was recalled months ago. The recall notice said that the repair takes 45 minutes. Every time I called the dealership, I was told I would have to drop off the car for the day. I said I couldn't do that.
I started getting recorded messages and postcards urging me to bring my car in for repairs. All designed to protect Honda.
Next I called the phone number on the postcards which specifically said "call this number to schedule an appointment." That was not true. They just told me to call the dealership
I kept getting the phone calls and postcards, so I called the number on the postcard again. No attempt to schedule an appointment. So I started accusing Honda of just sending these postcards as a scam to cover their liabilty. No attempt to schedule an appointment as stated on the postcard. That did the trick. She finally called the dealership. I still had to drop the car off for the day at dealership, but they provided me with a loaner.
I could have waited. In only took a couple of hours. But they wanted to have time to do a multi-point inspection and recommend repairs. So they called me up and said I needed rear brake pads (only 25,000 miles on them). Also, one of my axles is starting to go bad. Kind of disgusting. Instead of making it simple for me to get this "urgent" repair completed, they made me jump through hoops and inconvenienced me so the dealership could make money by recommending other work.
I started getting recorded messages and postcards urging me to bring my car in for repairs. All designed to protect Honda.
Next I called the phone number on the postcards which specifically said "call this number to schedule an appointment." That was not true. They just told me to call the dealership
I kept getting the phone calls and postcards, so I called the number on the postcard again. No attempt to schedule an appointment. So I started accusing Honda of just sending these postcards as a scam to cover their liabilty. No attempt to schedule an appointment as stated on the postcard. That did the trick. She finally called the dealership. I still had to drop the car off for the day at dealership, but they provided me with a loaner.
I could have waited. In only took a couple of hours. But they wanted to have time to do a multi-point inspection and recommend repairs. So they called me up and said I needed rear brake pads (only 25,000 miles on them). Also, one of my axles is starting to go bad. Kind of disgusting. Instead of making it simple for me to get this "urgent" repair completed, they made me jump through hoops and inconvenienced me so the dealership could make money by recommending other work.
6
The dealership will not miss a chance to recommend additional repairs any time they have your car in the shop. Think of service people as sales people too. Many are commissioned. Not saying that's wrong, but just be aware of it.
1
WOW it's the old "there is a reason for stereotypes" and yours is a classic. I stopped get my oil changed at a particular place because I would get a long list of "recommendations"
1
Is there no simple way to disconnect airbags or remove them while waiting for replacement parts, even if it necessitates that they somehow be triggered remotely first with no one inside the car?
3
Evidently it depends on the vehicle. One suggestion is to remove the fuse that protects the airbag circuitry. But, my Toyota hybrid has the same fuse protecting the "hybrid system," which means that without the fuse the vehicle is inoperable. If the fuse protects only the airbag circuitry, or some other non-essential component (even ABS circuitry for the brakes, you'll still have brakes), then pull the fuse, put up with the air bag light being on, and go on your way.
This article presents a rather one sided picture of a serious and complex problem.
Almost 1.5 million people die worldwide each year in car accidents, over 30,000 per year in the US. There are many more injuries, many serious.
Air bags are explosive devices. They are designed to prevent the most serious injuries and deaths, by exploding in people's faces in the event of an accident - when a sudden decelleration is detected. Designing a device that will always trigger when it should and never trigger when it shouldn't is very difficult engineering. And adding the requirement that the explosions be safe is fiendishly difficult - the expression "safe explosion" is an oxymoron.
Manufacturers didn't install air bags for profit; they did so because they were required to by regulators.
And that fact is that though airbags have killed people, as this article describes, they have saved many more lives than they have cost. This doesn't help the people who died when airbags malfunctioned, but perhaps it adds some perspective.
Reliably identifying a safety flaw that is as infrequent as the failing inflators is extraordinarily difficult. And in this case the repair is hard to implement. It would be easy to simply disable the defective airbags, but that would likely cost far more lives than it would save.
So perhaps we need to take a breath here. Cars are very complicated machines, and are far safer today than in the past. The companies are likely doing the best that they can.
Almost 1.5 million people die worldwide each year in car accidents, over 30,000 per year in the US. There are many more injuries, many serious.
Air bags are explosive devices. They are designed to prevent the most serious injuries and deaths, by exploding in people's faces in the event of an accident - when a sudden decelleration is detected. Designing a device that will always trigger when it should and never trigger when it shouldn't is very difficult engineering. And adding the requirement that the explosions be safe is fiendishly difficult - the expression "safe explosion" is an oxymoron.
Manufacturers didn't install air bags for profit; they did so because they were required to by regulators.
And that fact is that though airbags have killed people, as this article describes, they have saved many more lives than they have cost. This doesn't help the people who died when airbags malfunctioned, but perhaps it adds some perspective.
Reliably identifying a safety flaw that is as infrequent as the failing inflators is extraordinarily difficult. And in this case the repair is hard to implement. It would be easy to simply disable the defective airbags, but that would likely cost far more lives than it would save.
So perhaps we need to take a breath here. Cars are very complicated machines, and are far safer today than in the past. The companies are likely doing the best that they can.
8
Alex writes: "Manufacturers didn't install air bags for profit; they did so because they were required to by regulators." Do you think Takata is running a charity? Sorry, but your anti-regulation dogma is showing: regulators did not cause these deaths and injuries; a venal company that has admitted to falsifying testing data did.
11
The companies are likely doing the best that they can.
Everyone desperately wants this statement to be true. Including the makers of the defective airbags as I am sure they have children and grandchildren that drive these cars.
We would all gladly cut the makers some slack if only they were not shown to hide the defect.
It is the lying to the public that destroys all society.
Everyone desperately wants this statement to be true. Including the makers of the defective airbags as I am sure they have children and grandchildren that drive these cars.
We would all gladly cut the makers some slack if only they were not shown to hide the defect.
It is the lying to the public that destroys all society.
7
A nice sentiment, but it seems more likely that they are more concerned with avoiding an expensive recall of all likely vehicles, which is what would better fit the definition of "doing the best that they can".
4
Sadly, it will likely take the death of a Congressman's child resulting from a faulty airbag to get the situation dealt with properly, both in terms of criminal liability and appropriate compensation for victims.
Sadly, people consciously made decisions to create and cover up the creation of known lethal airbags. They should be held accountable, likely with a R.I.C.O. prosecution along with individual culpability. There are sufficient extradition treaties to bring here for trial any parties who are currently abroad, whether Americans or foreign nationals.
Sadly, with a Justice Department reticent to hold corporations or their executives genuinely accountable, and a Congress unconscionably refusing to support regulatory enforcement, class action suits would appear to be the only legal recourse for millions of Americans, suits against all the entities which produced, knowingly distributed, or have failed to remedy the lethal airbags.
Sadly, in the current political and legal climate, it may be necessary for large numbers of victims and their supporters to engage in direct actions -- picketing or organizing boycotts of auto dealers, picketing the homes and offices of responsible individuals, or a hundred other things -- to get the ball rolling on this. That appears to be the only way left to deal with corporate entities that are deemed "too big to be held accountable" by those we elect and pay to hold them accountable.
Sadly, people consciously made decisions to create and cover up the creation of known lethal airbags. They should be held accountable, likely with a R.I.C.O. prosecution along with individual culpability. There are sufficient extradition treaties to bring here for trial any parties who are currently abroad, whether Americans or foreign nationals.
Sadly, with a Justice Department reticent to hold corporations or their executives genuinely accountable, and a Congress unconscionably refusing to support regulatory enforcement, class action suits would appear to be the only legal recourse for millions of Americans, suits against all the entities which produced, knowingly distributed, or have failed to remedy the lethal airbags.
Sadly, in the current political and legal climate, it may be necessary for large numbers of victims and their supporters to engage in direct actions -- picketing or organizing boycotts of auto dealers, picketing the homes and offices of responsible individuals, or a hundred other things -- to get the ball rolling on this. That appears to be the only way left to deal with corporate entities that are deemed "too big to be held accountable" by those we elect and pay to hold them accountable.
8
Or, as the NYT has pointed out, deep, deep in your sales contract may be an arbitration clause, meaning no class action suit possible.
2
I used to wonder whether a member of Congress or their child would have to be shot in order for meaningful gun safety legislation to be passed. Since nothing happened after Gabby Giffords was shot, now I wonder how many children of "important" people will have to die before all the excuses wouldn't fly anymore.
1
ex- air bag engineer here:
Great article:
The first issue: Industry lacks the manufacturing capacity to replace the inflators instantly. This year there were 17+ million new vehicles sold in the US - the plants are running at almost full capacity.
The second issue: You can't just slap a replacement inflator into these vehicles. There is a huge amount of design and testing that needs to be done to make sure the new inflators are safe - The output of the inflators if dependant on the vehicle "crash pulse" and vehicle environment.
It looks like the NHTSA video of the failed inflator is a PASSENGER side inflator.
Is the problem drivers side only?
Great article:
The first issue: Industry lacks the manufacturing capacity to replace the inflators instantly. This year there were 17+ million new vehicles sold in the US - the plants are running at almost full capacity.
The second issue: You can't just slap a replacement inflator into these vehicles. There is a huge amount of design and testing that needs to be done to make sure the new inflators are safe - The output of the inflators if dependant on the vehicle "crash pulse" and vehicle environment.
It looks like the NHTSA video of the failed inflator is a PASSENGER side inflator.
Is the problem drivers side only?
6
It is not passenger side only. My BMW 2004 is had the passenger side recalled and replaced. The driver's side has been re-called, but the parts are not available.
3
Millions of drivers should be grateful for this excellent journalism.
Faulty airbags still exist in cars whose drivers are unaware they are at risk on a daily basis.. This is not only dangerous but also immoral.
Please list the makes and models of all cars which have this type of airbag. Then owners would not be beholding to Ford, Honda, etc., to alert consumers that they are unknowingly in danger as was Joel Knight.
Faulty airbags still exist in cars whose drivers are unaware they are at risk on a daily basis.. This is not only dangerous but also immoral.
Please list the makes and models of all cars which have this type of airbag. Then owners would not be beholding to Ford, Honda, etc., to alert consumers that they are unknowingly in danger as was Joel Knight.
25
Yes. Please. Please list the makes and models of all cars which have this type of airbag
22
If you're not cheating you're not trying.
4
There is one reason and one reason only for delay. Money. The manufacturers and car dealers all agree that a loss of life here and there is surely better than a loss of dollars. Period. CEOs, shareholders and anyone who profits from this debacle should be held accountable. But wait, isn't congress trying to pass a bill that will take away folks rights to sue corporations as well? May the victims rest in peace and may the perpetrators suffer…...
18
Since corporations "are people too, my friend", why aren't the executives of Takata and Ford sitting in jail for manslaughter? Or at least indicted??
43
The NHTSA should order a recall on all cars and new regulations should be put in place to force car makers to provide loaner cars. It's absurd to treat drivers worse than car/airbag makers.
29
As usual, big industries count the beans. There are not enough killed to make recalls necessary. The amount they would lose to wrongful death suits is not enough to "justify" recall. Only government sanctions will help.
25
Paying off a wrongful death or injury action is just a cost of doing business for the automobile industry. However, the loss of sales in this industry is not. Consumer products are driving our economy, with automobiles at the top of this "food chain". After a few months of decreased sales in billions of dollars and cars sitting idly on their lots they would capitulate. Consumer money talks.