Subaru is in the news again for launching a major recall impacting vehicles sold in the United States. This time around, the problem that prompted the campaign is about Takata airbags.
According to the firm, 497,922 cars manufactured by the company were equipped with defective airbag inflators. Many of these vehicles were fitted with replacement airbags after the Takata airbag scandal broke out and now, they must be repaired.
These vehicles had been recalled after officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration learned that Takata airbags could implode during deployment, shattering the airbag’s metal inflator and exposing car occupants to metal shrapnel.
While many of the vehicles listed under the latest Subaru recall were fitted with different airbags as part of a temporary fix, they were replacement parts produced by Takata. Now, Subaru is swapping the airbags for devices that do not contain the dangerous propellant behind the inflator explosions.
So far, NHTSA officials say, exploding Takata airbags have been behind 16 deaths and more than 250 injuries across the country.
Impacted Subaru models are the 2009 through 2013 Forester, the 2004 through 2011 Impreza, the 2003 through 2014 Legacy, the 2003 through 2014 Outback, the 2004 through 2014 WRX, and the 2005 and 2006 Saab 9-2X.
Takata Recall: Largest In US History
The Takata airbag recall continues to concern regulators.
While the NHTSA required firms to launch recalls promptly as a nationwide effort to prevent related deaths, many companies were forced to wait until there were enough replacement parts to launch nationwide recall campaigns.
This latest Subaru recall is part of this delayed response.
As the firm contacts impacted vehicle owners this month, drivers are urged to bring their cars in for free repairs as soon as possible.
As personal injury attorneys, we’ve seen the real-world consequences of accidents caused by equipment failure and know that this campaign should not be ignored by anyone who cares about their own safety.
For more on this recall, follow this link.
