What’s Behind the Massive Airbag Recall

If you drive a later model car, you may have serious safety issues with your vehicle. Faulty airbag design is leading to serious injury and even death in many different cars makes and models. Acting quickly to automaker recalls could mean the difference of life or death.
Just recently brought to attention of the national media within the past week, the issue is monumental and widespread. With estimates now as high as 7.8 million affected vehicles, the airbag recalls are impacting millions of driver across the world. The number is also said to have been as high as 12 million possible vehicles affected by the recall.
These faulty airbag installations were installed on models from 2000 to 2007 on models sold by such makes as Honda, Toyota, BMW, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Saab, Pontiac, Chrysler and Ford. Airbag recalls concern equipment assembled by the Takata Corporation. The airbags in question effectively release shrapnel in the faces of the driver or passenger- or both- depending on vehicle make and model year.
This is a direct cause of the chemical propellant that deploys the airbag in the event of a crash. Takata disclosed it improperly stored chemicals and mishandled explosive propellants used in the airbags. The chemical reaction produces excessive internal pressure in the actual bag.
This excessive pressure is too much force on the airbag housing. This makes inflators rupture upon deployment and separate from the mounting brackets. So with the airbag deployment, these metal brackets propel up to 200mph into drivers and passengers. The danger is especially high in climates with above average humidity.
If you drive any of the models being recalled, be sure to take your car in as soon as possible. Airbags are an integral part of modern automobile safety restraint systems. Driving around without an airbag is just not safe let alone an airbag with exploding metal parts, and the longer you wait the greater chance there is of a fatal or traumatic airbag injury.