Takata Recall Expansion: What Consumers Need to Know

Important Information about Expanded Takata Air Bag Recalls

Key Points

• NHTSA is expanding the Takata air bag recalls.
• Long-term exposure to high heat and humidity can cause these air bags to fail.
• NHTSA is prioritizing recalls based on risk.
• Vehicles currently included in these recalls are searchable using NHTSA’s Recalls Lookup Tool and included on this list of affected vehicles. Vehicles that are scheduled to be recalled later (according to the table below) are not yet searchable on the Recalls Lookup Tool, but are included in the list of affected vehicles. Consumers are urged to use the Recalls Lookup Tool to more accurately determine if their vehicle is currently subject to these, or other, recalls. Consumers are also encouraged to sign up for NHTSA’s Recall Alerts to be notified of new recalls that may affect them and to search the Recalls Lookup Tool for recalls at least twice a year.

Summary

The Takata air bag recalls are being expanded and, by December 31, 2019, will include an additional estimated 35-40 million inflators. This is on top of the 28.8 million inflators previously recalled.

Prior to this recall expansion, NHTSA and its independent expert reviewed the findings of three independent investigations into the Takata air bag inflator ruptures.

The combination of time, high temperature fluctuations, and humidity contribute to the degradation of the propellant in the inflators. This degradation can cause the propellant to burn too quickly, creating more pressure than the inflator can withstand, and in extreme cases causing the inflator to rupture and sends shrapnel through the air bag toward vehicle occupants.

The agency is prioritizing the recall of air bag inflators based on the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants.

As the below chart shows, recalls are phased by the location of the vehicles and their age. The schedule for recalls has been set to make sure that vehicles are recalled before the propellant in the inflator will degrade to the point of becoming dangerous. The recalls will occur on a schedule between May 2016 and December 2019 to make sure vehicles are recalled before the air bag inflator becomes dangerous.

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