Fears, vehicle recalls continue to rise
When Linda Morgan began caring for her young granddaughter five days a week, she traded in her truck for a safer car, complete with airbags.
After about 34 million vehicles were recalled because of defective airbag inflators made by Takata Corp., she fears the steps she took to keep the child safe will backfire.
“She goes wherever I go. I have to be safe with her,” she said. “That’s not my child. It’s someone else’s child.”
Morgan, of Canonsburg, said the recall is “scary.” In rare cases, airbags explode after expanding with too much force, launching shrapnel into the passenger compartment and causing injury or death. Six deaths and more than 100 injuries were caused by the defective airbags.
The recall is the largest in automotive history. Replacing defective inflators will take an estimated 2.5 years.
Regional AAA spokeswoman Chelsea Pompeani encouraged all drivers to check if their car is recalled. She said it is important for manufacturers to follow through with recalls for the safety of drivers.
“Safety should take precedent over profit,” she said.
The manufacturer announced the recall after pressure from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Brownsville resident Pearl Mitchell said the recall should have been announced earlier.
“I think that it’s a mess,” she said. “I don’t think people have peace of mind about this.”
Many drivers will not receive mailed notifications about the recall until parts are available. Until then, check the database at the NHTSA website at https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/ by entering a VIN number. The numbers are stamped on the driver’s side dashboard near the base of the windshield. NHTSA suggests checking back regularly as more models are added.
While only 0.0007 percent of airbags inflating in crashes exploded, car manufacturers including Honda, Toyota, BMW and General Motors offer loaner cars for some models.
A complete list of recalled vehicles is not expected for weeks. The latest additions were several Ford models Monday.
Affected brands include Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge/Ram, Ford, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Subaru and Toyota.