The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Competition Commission has issued a consumer alert for the recall of 20 car brands due to faulty airbag inflators. This warning concerns Takata airbag inflators, which have been found to be defective and pose a safety risk.
Japanese manufacturer Takata Corporation fitted these faulty airbags to vehicles produced between 2002 and 2015. The commission is advising consumers in the region to return affected vehicles to address the safety issues posed by the defective airbags.
According to the commission’s statement, by January 2024, over 100 million Takata airbag inflators had been recalled worldwide by more than 20 car manufacturers. The defects have been linked to 22 deaths and over 180 injuries.
“We therefore wish to alert consumers in our member countries of the ongoing developments regarding the Takata airbags for their information, since there is high importation of used car in the region,” the Commission said.
The commission also confirmed that most of the affected vehicles were from model years 2002 to 2015.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explained the defect in a Safety Recall Notice. It described how the Takata PSDI-5 inflator propellant could, over time, create excessive internal pressure, leading to the inflator’s rupture upon deployment.
This rupture can cause metal fragments to pass through the airbag cushion, potentially injuring or killing vehicle occupants.
The NHTSA noted that such ruptures might occur in some inflators after several years of exposure to high humidity, high temperatures, and significant temperature fluctuations, among other conditions.
In May 2024, the NHTSA issued a “Do Not Drive” warning for certain vehicles, including models from brands like Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Ford, and BMW, due to this issue.
Additionally, in 2017, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport required repairs of vehicles with Takata airbags before inspection and reported that about 18 people worldwide had died from abnormal explosions caused by these airbags.
Toyota has provided a website link for consumers to check whether their vehicles are subject to the Takata airbag recall. The NHTSA also offers a website link where consumers can verify their car’s recall status using the Vehicle Identification Number.
