Takata Airbag Class Action Case

On Wednesday, October 29 ^, 2014, the Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wrote a letter to Takata Corporation urging them to speed up the production of airbag recall repair parts. Currently there are 7.78 million automobiles under recall for containing defective airbags manufactured by Takata. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also urged drivers of those vehicles to avoid driving with passengers in their cars until their airbags could be replaced.

Until the defect can be repaired or replaced, Takata is urging all drivers whose vehicles are on the recall list, to disable the passenger side airbag and keep the seat empty as a temporary solution. According to a public statement Takata issued, they “deeply regret that the recent recalls of vehicles equipped with our airbags have likely raised significant concerns and troubles to our product users, our customers, and other stakeholders.”

Takata’s Exploding Airbags

Takata is under fire for producing faulty and defective airbags since 2001 and knowingly continuing to manufacturer these defective airbags. To date, Takata defective airbags have allegedly been responsible for 139 injuries and at least 4 deaths. In addition, consumers who purchased or leased a defective automobile in the last 13 years may have seen the value of their vehicle diminished due to the recall.

The defect has been blamed on excessive moisture that was caused by the improper storage and manufacturing of explosive propellant used in their airbags. The result is a ticking time bomb-and airbags have been known to explode at the slightest contact, causing pieces of metal debris to fly through the car and into passengers and drivers.

Earlier this month, the first class action lawsuit was filed against Takata Corporation and automobile manufacturers, Honda, Toyota, BMW, and Ford. The lawsuit alleges that not only did Takata manufacture defective airbags for over a decade, but that they also knew of these defects, and they did not notify the public or fix the defect.

What Should You Do?
It is important to determine if your vehicle was one of the vehicles affected by this massive recall. You can visit NHTSA for specific recall information, or you can call the Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

Vehicles that have been affected by this recall include:

Contact National Product Liability Attorneys

Golomb Spirt Grunfeld, P.C. is currently investigating air bag manufacturer Takata Corporation and helping affected individuals take part in a national class action lawsuit. We believe that owners of affected vehicles are now in possession of a car with diminished value. As such, we are currently seeking owners in Pennsylvania and across the United States whose vehicles have been the subject of a Takata airbag recall to serve as class action representatives in statewide and nationwide class action lawsuits.