NHTSA Urges Quick Fix of Defective Airbags


Update: This story originally published in October 2014. You can find more recent information about the recall expansion here.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now reporting that 7.8 million vehicles in the U.S. have defective Takata airbags that need to be replaced immediately. Today, NHTSA added 3 million vehicles to the consumer advisory, which it first issued on Tuesday. The recall, expanded several times during the year, involves airbags that could deploy with too much pressure and cause injury. It affects millions of Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, Subaru, Nissan and General Motors vehicles.
Related: BMW, Chrysler, Ford Join Ever- Expanding Airbag Recall
“Responding to these recalls, whether old or new, is essential to personal safety and it will help aid our ongoing investigation into Takata airbags and what appears to be a problem related to extended exposure to consistently high humidity and temperatures. However, we’re leaving no stone unturned in our aggressive pursuit to track down the full geographic scope of this issue,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator David Friedman said in a statement.
Unsure if your vehicle is affected? NHTSA recently launched a Vehicle Identification Number search tool, but the site is currently down. Stay tuned for updates as we continue to follow this story. According to the government safety agency, the following vehicles are affected:
BMW: 627,615 vehicles potentially affected
2000-2005 BMW 3 Series sedan
2000-2006 BMW 3 Series coupe
2000-2005 BMW 3 Series wagon
2000-2006 BMW 3 Series convertible
2001-2006 BMW M3 coupe
2001-2006 BMW M3 convertible
Chrysler: 371,309 vehicles potentially affected
2003-2008 Dodge Ram 1500
2005-2008 Dodge Ram 2500
2006-2008 Dodge Ram 3500
2006-2008 Dodge Ram 4500
2008 Dodge Ram 5500
2005-2008 Dodge Durango
2005-2008 Dodge Dakota
2005-2008 Chrysler 300
2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen
Ford: 58,669 vehicles potentially affected
2004 Ranger
2005-2006 GT
2005-2007 Mustang
General Motors: undetermined total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe
2005 Saab 9-2X
Honda: 5 million vehicles potentially affected
2001-2007 Honda Accord
2001-2005 Honda Civic
2002-2006 Honda CR-V
2003-2011 Honda Element
2002-2004 Honda Odyssey
2003-2007 Honda Pilot
2006 Honda Ridgeline
2003-2006 Acura MDX
2002-2003 Acura TL/CL
2005 Acura RL
Mazda: 64,872 vehicles potentially affected
2003-2007 Mazda6
2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6
2004-2008 Mazda RX-8
2004-2005 Mazda MPV 2004 Mazda B-Series truck
Mitsubishi: 11,985 vehicles potentially affected
2004-2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
2006-2007 Mitsubishi Raider
Nissan: 694,626 vehicles potentially affected
2001-2003 Nissan Maxima
2001-2004 Nissan Pathfinder
2002-2004 Nissan Sentra
2001-2004 Infiniti I30/I35
2002-2003 Infiniti QX4
2003-2005 Infiniti FX35/FX45
Subaru: 17,516 vehicles potentially affected
2003-2005 Subaru Baja
2003-2005 Subaru Legacy
2003-2005 Subaru Outback
2004-2005 Subaru Impreza
Toyota: 877,000 vehicles potentially affected
2002-2005 Lexus SC
2002-2005 Toyota Corolla
2003-2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix
2002-2005 Toyota Sequoia
2003-2005 Toyota Tundra
Editor’s note: This post was updated on Oct. 22 with new information from NHTSA.
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News Editor Jennifer Geiger joined the automotive industry in 2003, much to the delight of her Corvette-obsessed dad. Jennifer is an expert reviewer, certified car-seat technician and mom of three. She wears a lot of hats — many of them while driving a minivan.
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