NHTSA Honda airbag recall - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revised and increased the total number of airbags for recall on Tuesday from 4.7 million to 6.1 million affected vehicles.
NHTSA's airbag recall notice was announced on Monday. The defective airbags were made by Takata Corporation, a leading Tokyo-based supplier of seat belts, steering wheels, air bags and other autoparts.
Vehicles also included in the NHTSA Honda airbag recall notice are Toyota, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Owners and drivers of these cars were warned for airbags with faulty propellant inside that is unstable and can explode after a minor accident, spraying passengers with metal fragments. At least four people have already died from the problem and few have suffered from multiple injuries.
Areas with particular urgency was mentioned by NHTSA which are "Florida, Puerto Rico, limited areas near the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana, as well as Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii."
NHTSA stressed that owners should act immediately. Vehicle owners contacted by the manufacturers should contact their dealer's service department and ask for repair. "The message comes with urgency," said in NHTSA's statement. Immediate response is important to personal safety as well as to NHTSA's investigation procedures of the product.
A list of the different vehicle models and the number of potentially affected units was posted at the NHTSA's website.
A day after NHTSA's airbag recall only a few consumers answered to the notice. Many of the owners who brought their vehicles to be fixed were refused as the parts made by Takata are not readily available.
NHTSA's airbag recall notice made Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, to urge automakers to make loaner cars available to address confusion and frustration among the vehicle owners.
