To date globally some 12.5 million airbags have already been replaced/repaired – 6.7 million driver side airbags and 5.8 million passenger side airbags. According to data provided from NHTSA as of early December this year, Honda has recalled more than 8.2 million of its defective airbags, followed by Toyota with 1.47 million and FCA with 1.46 million. However, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz have recalled only 671 and 3,434 cars respectively – less than 1% from all cars the two companies have to repair.
While an impressive number, the 12.5 million cars represent less than 20% of all affected vehicles. That’s why the Department of Transportation wants to accelerate the recall, and is motivating manufacturers to obtain the replacement parts faster and to make them available first to the riskiest vehicles. Takata is backing the campaign, announcing it “has dramatically ramped up production and capacity of airbag replacement kits.”
