The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is under investigation by the Department of Transportation (DOT) for its handling of an airbag recall that is affecting millions of popular vehicles as well as several other recalls earlier this year. The latest recall, which was issued by NHTSA last week, has linked Takata Airbags to at least four deaths and over 100 injuries, according to ABC News.
The latest recall affects 7.8 million vehicles for a defect that can cause affected airbags to explode and shoot out dangerous shards of metal into passengers and drivers. The original recall notice was issued on Oct. 20 and included 4.7 million vehicles.
In the Oct. 20 recall, NHTSA urged owners of more than 4.7 million vehicles to get their Takata airbags replaced immediately, particularly those in areas with high humidity. The next day, the Government revised the number to 7.8 million.
According to ABC News, a Florida woman suffered fatal wounds to her neck when an airbag exploded earlier this month. Her death was under investigation as a homicide, until it was confirmed that the stab-like wounds on her neck were from metal pieces that exploded out of her airbag.
“There needs to be a real overhaul of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Told ABC. “These exploding airbags can be killers.”
According to Blumenthal, owners of affected vehicles should be given loaners until their airbags are successfully replaced. Simply disabling the airbags can pose greater risks, he said.
Japanese auto supplier Takata is the maker of the airbags. Affected vehicles include certain models of Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors vehicles. For a complete list of recalled vehicles, visit NHTSA’s website.
Anyone who is unsure whether their vehicle has been recalled should call their local dealer.
