The ACCC has released comprehensive state-by-state data detailing recall rates for deadly Takata airbags, with around 1.8 million airbags still need replacing.
Over the past 12 months, 1.1 million faulty Takata airbags have been replaced in around 930,000 vehicles as part of a compulsory recall that will run until 2020.
The new data shows the location of all known registered vehicles and number of airbag inflators affected, with NSW leading the way with over 500,000 affected vehicles.
Despite good progress, ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard is warning motorists not to be complacent about having airbags replaced.
“Don’t ignore or delay responding to a letter or call from your car’s manufacturer asking you to have your airbag replaced. The airbags degrade over time and can become lethal by misdeploying and firing metal shards at the car’s occupants,” Ms Rickard said.
*Manufacturers are currently working to determine where these vehicles are and if they are still on the road.
The most dangerous airbags, known as “alpha” airbags, were fitted to about 115,000 cars, with around 19,500 still potentially on the roads. These airbags require urgent replacement and drivers should not drive cars containing these airbags until they have been fixed.
“Our greatest concern remains around the alpha airbags, which can still be found in almost 20,000 cars. Make no mistake, these airbags can kill and our advice is for consumers to check our website to see if their car is affected by this recall. If your car contains an alpha airbag, it should not be driven.”
Ms Rickard welcomed the launch of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries national consumer awareness campaign ‘Faulty airbags? Don’t die wondering’ and new online tool, www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au and text service 0427 AIRBAG.
“The website provides an easy place to enter your car’s number plate to check if it’s affected and I encourage everyone who owns a car to visit this site,” Ms Rickard said.
The compulsory recall requires Suppliers to replace all faulty Takata airbags in Australian vehicles by 31 December 2020 (unless varied by application and approved by the ACCC).
