Cars recalled over defective airbags

Owners of older cars – especially Japanese makes like Honda – could receive recall letters because of potentially dangerous bags

Published Modified

IF YOU have a car fitted with an airbag by one of the world’s largest manufacturers – Takata – your car may be recalled for a refit after defects were found with some of the bags.

A risk has been found from flying metal fragments when some airbags opened, while others inflated badly.

Some eight million cars – made by Honda, Toyota, Nissan, BMW and Chrysler - have already been recalled in the US and France is to follow suit.

Warning letters should come from your supplier within the next 3-4 weeks by recorded delivery.

The costs are expected to be borne by the car manufacturers, who in turn will claim from Takata, which is reportedly braced to have to pay out several billion.

Problems found include, for models from 2002-2003, a risk of injury due to metal fragments inside gas canisters that inflate the bags; and for other models from 2000 – 2004, passenger airbags that may inflate badly due to humidity.

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