More than 2 million vehicles with faulty Takata airbags recalled

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This was published 6 years ago

More than 2 million vehicles with faulty Takata airbags recalled

By Rachel Clun
Updated

The federal government has announced the compulsory recall of more than 2 million vehicles after faulty Takata airbags caused dozens of deaths worldwide, including one in Australia.

Assistant Minister to the Treasurer Michael Sukkar said the recall of 2.3 million vehicles was the “largest and most significant recall in the nation’s history”.

"The compulsory recall will force manufacturers, dealers, importers and other suppliers to ensure that all dangerous Takata airbags are located and replaced as quickly as possible," Mr Sukkar said.

The assistant minister said that 4 million Australian cars in total had been affected by the defective airbags, or about two in seven cars on the road.

"Tragically there's been one death and one case of serious injury in Australia as a result of the deployment of these airbags, and the government just doesn't want to see anymore," he said.

In July 2017, a 58-year-old Sydney man died after he was struck in the neck by a small fragment that was propelled by his airbag.

His car, a Honda CRV, is one of the models subject to the worldwide recall over the faulty airbags.

Weeks before his death, a 21-year-old woman from Darwin was critically injured after she was hit on the head by metal shrapnel from her airbag.

About 2.7 million vehicles have been recalled voluntarily, and 1.7 million had their airbags replaced.

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The Takata airbag in a RAV4 SUV, responsible for injuring a 21-year-old woman in Darwin.

The Takata airbag in a RAV4 SUV, responsible for injuring a 21-year-old woman in Darwin.Credit: NT Police

Wednesday's compulsory recall of 2.3 million includes the 1 million vehicles that did not have their airbags voluntarily replaced, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims said at the press conference.

"All must be replaced by the end of 2020," he said.

Mr Sims said the decision to recall 2.3 million vehicles was not something “done lightly", and it would be closely monitored by the ACCC.

"The recall schedule must be met. If it's not met, that's a breach of our act with a penalty of $1.1 million per breach,” he said.

“We [will] get all these airbags out of Australian cars by the end of 2020."

The recall will be staggered based on urgency, with vehicles fitted with Alpha airbags - which pose an "immediate and critical safety risk" - to be recalled first.

"They are a minority but it's critical they be taken out, and if anyone has got an Alpha airbag, they stopped driving the car immediately because there's a chance of poor deployment," he said.

However, Mr Sims stressed not all the Takata airbags were deadly.

"What I want to stress here is that not all the ... airbags are dangerous now."

Manufacturers Ford, Holden and Volkswagen are among those that will be forced to replace the airbags for free and as soon as possible.

Drivers can check if their vehicle has been recalled on the ACCC's Product Safety Australia website.

While not all car models and manufacturers affected by the recall are on the Product Safety Australia list yet, the ACCC confirmed Holden, Volkswagen and more Ford models will be recalled.

Labor's consumer affairs spokesman Tim Hammond told reporters in Canberra this recall has been "waiting in the wings for months".

"It is an indictment of this government that they have taken them so long to pull the trigger on a compulsory recall."

With AAP

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