HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — If you and your family are taking your summer road trips in older model cars, you may want to take heed of an important safety warning. Even though a series of Takata airbags were recalled 10 years ago, there are still millions of unfixed cars on the road, according to new data recently released by CARFAX.
More than 67 million Takata airbags were recalled in 2014 because of the potential for explosions when deployed. The faulty airbags were attributed to at least 27 deaths and 400 injuries, according to data from the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, or NHTSA.
Nationwide, more than 6.4 million vehicles included in the initial recall are still on the roads. Approximately 151,000 of those are believed to be in Alabama.
Patrick Olsen, Editor-in-Chief of CARFAX, which analyzed its database of car service history for the report, said the recalled Takata airbags need to be replaced because Alabama's hot and humid climate exacerbates the possibility for danger.
"These airbags have chemicals in a certain mixture that, when exposed over time to heat and humidity, moisture develops inside these chemicals," Olsen explained. "When the car gets hit and they explode, they explode with a lot more force that anyone had anticipated. That can turn the metal ring around the airbag into shrapnel."
The danger builds over time, Olsen warned. "The more exposure to heat, the more exposure to humidity, the more volatile those chemicals can get."
So why, a decade later, do many of these vehicles still have the dangerous airbags? There are several factors. Olsen said that when the recall was first issued, there was a struggle to find replacement parts. He added that recall notices usually come by mail, which has its own negatives.
"That is nobody's primary form of communication anymore. I'm afraid some owners get a recall notice in the mail and they think it might be a extended warranty marketing scam and they don't respond to it," he said.
In the span of 10 years, any car can go through a number of new owners, and that also poses a challenge in making sure a vehicle is properly serviced. "A lot of these cars date back to the 2001-2002 model year. So we're talking cars that are 20-plus years old [and] on their second, third, fourth, maybe fifth owner," said Olsen.
Automakers are doing their due diligence in trying to continue informing car owners about getting the defective Takata airbags replaced. Olsen said that Chrysler, Honda and others have sent teams out to different communities across the country to try to track down affected cars.
To be proactive, there are ways you can ensure your vehicle is clear of any recalls, not just the Takata airbag recall. Bring your vehicle in to a dealership, which can run your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) through a database of known recalls to see what yours may need. Work done to fix recalls is free and dealerships are required to perform the work.
You can also run your VIN and/or license plate number through car care apps, such as ones offered by CARFAX and the NHTSA, to get access to the same information.