The government is expanding the recall of vehicles that have Takata airbags -- to over 60 million air bags.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded the recall to include 35-40 million air bags.There are already 28.8 million air bags subjected to the recall.
The problem is linked to the Takata air bag inflators. The agency confirmed a combination of time, environmental moisture and fluctuating high temperatures affects the ammonium nitrate propellant in the inflators. If the propellant burns too quickly, it will rupture the inflator module, causing shrapnel to fly through the air bag and into the people in the vehicle.
The ruptures have been tied to 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries in the United States.
Replacement inflators are being made available to the highest-risk vehicles first. The recall is being done in phases between May 2016 and December 2019. The complete recall schedule was released on the NHTSA website.
Schedule for Future Recalls
Takata Defect Filing Date | Zone A Vehicles | Zone B Vehicles | Zone C Vehicles |
---|---|---|---|
May 16, 2016 | MY 2011 & Older | MY 2008 & Older | MY 2004 & Older |
December 31, 2016 | MY 2012 & Older | MY 2009 & Older | MY 2008 & Older |
December 31, 2017 | MY 2013 & Older | MY 2010 & Older | MY 2009 & Older |
December 31, 2018 | All remaining vehicles | All remaining vehicles | All remaining vehicles |
December 31, 2019 | All like-for-like replacement parts |
All like-for-like replacement parts |
All like-for-like replacement parts |
Recall Zones Based on Temperature & HumidityZone A: Hot & HumidAlabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands Zone B: Less Hot & HumidArizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia Zone C: Least Hot & HumidAlaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming |
It's considered the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.
To find out if your vehicle is affected, head to the NHTSA website.