A compulsory recall of all vehicles with defective Takata airbags commenced on 1 March 2018, following a safety investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The recall affects a large number of car makes and models, and a small number of motorcycles and trucks.
Faulty Takata airbags have caused serious injuries and deaths. A design flaw with the inflator components means that they may deteriorate and deploy with too much force in an incident, causing metal fragments to propel out of the airbag.
2.7 million vehicles have been captured by voluntary recalls, which were conducted by suppliers. A further 1.3 million vehicles have been captured under the compulsory recall. The presence of defective Takata airbags on South Australian roads puts consumers at risk.
The compulsory recall requires suppliers of vehicles with defective Takata airbags to replace all defective Takata airbags in Australian vehicles by 31 December 2020 (or later in some instances if approved by the ACCC). Some vehicles will be recalled immediately, and others on a rolling basis, scheduled based on various factors including relative safety risk. This means that not all vehicles will be recalled straight away.
Consumers are strongly urged to check whether their vehicle has been recalled. If a consumer finds that their vehicle is under active recall, then they are urged to contact the supplier to arrange replacement of the affected Takata airbag as soon as possible.
It is critical that drivers with alpha airbags installed, around 25,000 in Australia, take immediate steps to have the airbags replaced as these pose the highest safety risk.
Please visit the Product Safety Australia website to check if your vehicle is under an active or future recall.
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