Toyota is recalling a total of about 2.9 million vehicles in Japan, China, Europe and other regions due to potentially faulty airbags. Toyota Japan said that recalls were issued for about 1.16 million vehicles sold in Oceania, the Middle East and the automaker’s smaller markets while about 750,000 vehicles had been recalled in Japan. It did not give figures for Europe.
Subaru, Mitsubishi and Hino Motors also recalled a total of about 240,000 vehicles in their Japanese domestic market (some of these cars have been imported into Malaysia and sold as reconditioned vehicles) over airbags made by Takata.
So how does this effect reconditioned cars, SUV’s and MPVs from Japan…..not forgetting reconditioned large commercial trucks like Hino trucks. Many Malaysians are driving reconditioned vehicles and they do not get a recall.
Are we waiting for more Takata airbags to kill drivers before the law steps in? At least 16 deaths have been linked to exploding Takata inflators, prompting the auto industry’s biggest-ever global recall.
Global transport authorities consider Takata inflators containing the chemical compound ammonium nitrate to be unsafe if used without a drying agent, and have ordered all of the about 100 million on the market to be withdrawn.
Takata is currently seeking a financial sponsor to help pay for the costs related to the recalls. Last month, it pleaded guilty to a U.S. felony charge as part of a $1 billion settlement over its faulty inflators.
