Takata Airbag Recall & Injuries

The Texas airbag injury lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard assist victims of defective airbags nationwide.

On behalf of our clients and potential clients, we are closely monitoring the recent Takata airbag recall. We stand ready to help anyone who has been injured by these dangerous and potentially deadly products.

If you or a loved one has been injured, there are several reasons why it is important to contact a personal injury attorney now.

Please contact us immediately for a 100% free and confidential consultation to discuss your case.

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Overview

This article provides general information on the background and status of the Takata airbag recall, focusing on the following topics:

Who Is Takata?

What Is the Issue with Takata Airbags?

How Does an Airbag Work?

What Is an Airbag Inflator?

What Is That White Powder?

What Went Wrong with the Takata Airbag Inflators?

What Is a Product Recall?

How Do I Know If My Car Has a Defective Takata Airbag That Has Been Recalled?

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Who Is Takata?

Takata is a Japanese company that manufactures automobile safety devices including airbags, seat belts, and child safety seats. The company did $6.4 billion in sales in the last fiscal year alone.  20% of airbags worldwide are manufactured by Takata.

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What is the Issue with Takata Airbags?

Thousands of Takata airbags are defective. The defective products include both driver- and passenger-side front air bags.

The specific issue is that the chemicals used to inflate these airbags have been compromised, causing the chemicals to degrade over time. As a result, when a car accident occurs and a Takata airbag is initiated, the chemical reaction that is supposed to inflate the device is so strong that the bag ruptures, causing pieces of shrapnel to shoot out like bullets.  This shrapnel can cause serious injury or even death.

According to police, the Takata airbag accident victims who do survive often look like they have been shot or stabbed.

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How Does An Airbag Work?

An airbag works like a solid rocket booster.

The signal from your car’s deceleration sensor sends an electrical impulse that ignites a mixture of nitrogen-containing chemicals. Those chemicals decompose and react quickly to generate hot nitrogen gas. This hot nitrogen gas inflates the bag and causes it to burst from the steering wheel, dashboard, or side panel at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.

The inflation of an air bag takes 1/25 of a second.

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What Is an Airbag Inflator?

There are three parts to an airbag: the bag, the sensor that makes it inflate, and the inflator.

An airbag inflator includes a canister of nitrogen-containing gas that ultimately fills up the airbag, and the equivalent of an electronic match that ignites the gas and causes it to expand and fill up the bag.

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What Is That White Powder?

The white powder released when an airbag expands is cornstarch or talcum powder used by the manufacturer to keep the bags lubricated and in good shape while they are stowed away.

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What Exactly Happened to the Takata Airbag Inflators?

Currently it is believed that defects in “batwing” shaped wafers of Takata inflators allows moisture to infiltrate over time. This moisture modifies the chemical structure of the propellants. As a result the, propellants ignite too fast, causing the overreaction that ruptures the airbags and propels shrapnel into vehicle occupants.  Questions have also been raised about the use of ammonium nitrate, the type of chemical used as a propellant.

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What Is a Product Recall?

A product recall is when a manufacturer like Takata asks purchasers to return products because of safety issues or product defects that endanger the consumer. The current Takata airbag recall affects 34 million vehicles and is the largest automobile recall in United States history.

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How Do I Know If My Car Has a Defective Takata Airbag That Has Been Recalled?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a branch of the United States Department of Transportation, has created a special website that has a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) lookup, where you can look up your specific vehicle to determine whether it has an airbag subject to the Takata recall.

At the time of this writing, the following vehicles contain Takata airbags subject to recall:

A

Acura CL, 2003

Acura MDX, 2003-2005

Acura TL, 2002-2003

B

BMW 325Ci, 2004-2006

BMW 325i, 2004-2006

BMW 325Xi, 2004-2005

BMW 330Ci, 2004-2006

BMW 330i, 2004-2006

BMW 330Xi, 2004-2005

BMW 3-Series, 2000-2006

BMW M3, 2001-2006

C

Chrysler 300, 2005-2008

Chrysler 300C, 2005-2007

Chrysler Aspen, 2007-2008

Chrysler SRT8, 2005-2007

D

Dodge Charger, 2005-2007

Dodge Dakota, 2005-2007

Dodge Durango, 2004-2008

Dodge Magnum, 2005-2007

Dodge Ram 1500, 2003-2008

Dodge Ram 2500, 2003-2008

Dodge Ram 3500, 2003-2008

F

Ford GT, 2005-2006

Ford Mustang, 2005-2008

Ford Ranger, 2004-2005

H

Honda Accord, 2001-2007

Honda Civic, 2001-2005

Honda Civic Hybrid, 2003

Honda CR-V, 2002-2006

Honda Element, 2003-2011

Honda Odyssey, 2002-2004

Honda Pilot, 2003-2008

Honda Ridgeline, 2006

I

Infiniti FX35, 2003-2005

Infiniti FX45, 2003-2005

Infiniti I30, 2001

Infiniti I35, 2002-2004

Infiniti M35, 2006

Infiniti M45, 2006

Infiniti QX4, 2002-2003

L

Lexus SC, 2002-2007

M

Mazda6, 2004-2008

MazdaSpeed Mazda6, 2006-2007

Mazda RX, 2004-2008

Mitsubishi Lancer, 2004-2005

Mitsubishi Raider, 2006-2007

N

Nissan Maxima, 2001-2003

Nissan Pathfinder, 2001-2004

Nissan Sentra, 2002-2006

P

Pontiac Vibe, 2003-2007

S

Saab 9-2X, 2005

Subaru Baja, 2003-2005

Subaru Impreza, 2004-2005

Subaru Legacy, 2003-2005

Subaru Outback, 2003-2005

T

Toyota Corolla, 2003-2007

Toyota Corolla Matrix, 2003-2007

Toyota Rav4, 2004-2005

Toyota Sequoia, 2002-2007

Toyota Tundra, 2003-2006

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Morrow & Shepard Help Victims of Takata Airbags Nationwide

The experienced Houston injury attorneys at Morrow and Sheppard help victims injured by defective Takata airbags.

We have represented numerous accident victims, and in our past careers as partners as prominent firms, we handled cases for large companies like Takata. We know the legal strategies these companies employ to avoid liability. In many cases, the company executives who settle these cases know us and do not want to face us in court.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving one of the vehicles above, or any accident in which an occupant was harmed by an airbag, please contact the Houston airbag lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard to discuss how to best protect your legal rights.

We will provide you with a 100% free and confidential consultation.