Recalls of Takata airbags started as early as 2008. Takata and Honda allegedly both knew about the recalls as early as 2004. Why did the major recall from the National Highway Traffic-Safety Administration (NHTSA) not start until October of last year? Why are so many vehicles still on the road and not getting the necessary replacement they need?
Takata has indicated that they do not expect to have enough new airbags produced to cover the amount of recalled vehicles until late 2015. This is not an acceptable rate of replacement for a mandatory recall that has affected over 7.8 million vehicles from 10 car manufacturers.
The 10 manufacturers affected by the Takata recall have contracted with Orbital ATK to conduct their own tests on the defective airbags. Orbital ATK is a defense and aerospace firm that provides products to the United States, its allies, and government contractors. They were chosen by the 10 manufacturers for their expertise in the field of engineering and the ability to move the investigation into the defective airbags forward.
While Takata is still being fined $14,000 each day they do not comply with requests for documents for the investigation, they have secured the services of former Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Transportation Rodney Slater and Norman Y. Mineta. The two former secretaries are to work as special counsels to Takata. Takata has not defined what the term special counsel means though. Are they going to get the documents required for the investigation from Takata? Will they oversee production to ensure their products are up to standards? No one is quite sure what they will do. It appears to be a smokescreen to try and alleviate fears from consumers about the recall.
Even with the efforts the car manufacturers are putting forth to correct the problem with the recall and complete the investigation, many consumers are still affected by the recall and face the possibility of death or serious injury if the airbags deploy. In addition, the investigation is not moving forward as Takata refuses to adhere to the requests for information. While they have increased production to fulfill the orders for recalls, many consumers will not be able to replace their defective airbags until next year. This can add undue stress on the consumer, affecting their everyday lives. Speaking with a defective cars and car parts attorney can help you understand the manufacturers’ responsibility to compensate consumers for product liability cases.
