As Louisiana residents may know, a previous recall in some of the 2.1 million vehicles due to defective airbags may have failed to solve the problem. Replacement parts may be unavailable until the end of the year for vehicles that were previously recalled due to problems with faulty inflators. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, earlier repairs are believed to be effective in up to 85 percent of the recalled vehicles, and consumers are urged to wait until components are available to make repairs and not disable their airbags. Toyota, however, is urging customers to go ahead with disabling them in the meantime.
Earlier repairs from the previous recall consisted of fixing a manufacturing defect in the inflators of the Takata airbag potentially causing them to explode and endanger those in the vehicle with flying shrapnel. The defective part has reportedly caused several injuries and deaths. However, following the initial repairs, at least one auto maker has received reports of sudden airbag deployment, and the NHTSA has received reports of 39 vehicles whose airbags have deployed following the earlier repair.
The newest recall involves certain models of Toyota, Honda, Jeep, Dodge, Pontiac and Acura that contain a TRW electronic component. Although no fatalities have been linked to the latest recall, reportedly three injuries have been associated with the part. Instead of making repairs to the faulty part, automakers are replacing the electronic-control module.
Automobile manufacturers have the duty to ensure that their vehicles are safe and free of dangerous components that may cause an accident. One who is injured in an accident due to faulty parts may benefit from speaking to an attorney who can review incidents of problems associated with the faulty part in making a determination whether to proceed with a product liability suit against the manufacturer to recover damages.
