USA auto safety regulators said on Thursday that five automakers account for most of the massive Takata air bag inflator recall.
Mark Rosekind, administrator at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on Thursday said the agency would decide whether to issue the order by Thanksgiving.
“To speak plainly, the almost 23 million replacement inflators needed simply won’t be available within the next month, or even the next six months”, acknowledged NHTSA Office of Defects Investigations Director Frank Borris. Victims suffered facial lacerations, broken facial bones and loss of eyesight. Volkswagen and General Motors recently recalled Takata inflators in seat-mounted side air bags because of a chance they could rupture. By NHTSA’s calculation, almost 1 in 10 ruptures ended in death. As of October. 9, just 22.5 percent of the affected cars in the USA had been repaired.
The information comes from Reuters, which reports that U.S. regulators will make a decision in November about whether to coordinate the Takata airbag recall itself.
Among the options NHTSA is looking at to speed up the recalls is allowing outside fix shops to do the recall work.
A Takata spokesman said the company is investigating the newer ruptures, which it believes are unrelated to previous recalls.
More than 19 million cars made by 12 automakers have already been recalled in the United States to fix risky air bags that can rupture violently and spew metal fragments at vehicle occupants.
The agency said it will focus on getting replacement inflators to older cars, and those in high-humidity areas mainly along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Mr. Rosekind said the responsibility for repairing defective vehicles lay with manufacturers, but warned consumers to do their part by paying attention to mailed recall notices and staying in contact with dealers regarding the availability of replacement parts. Takata uses the chemical ammonium nitrate to create an explosion that inflates air bags, but it can deteriorate over time, especially when exposed to moist air. But officials expressed concern about people obtaining recalled inflators and trying to sell them to unsuspecting consumers via eBay and other Internet sites. But Rosekind said it’s better to get repairs made as quickly as possible. “A few may be tempted to wait for final repairs, but that would be a mistake”.
