
Approximately 375.000 vechicles are being recalled due to airbag issues.
BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Mazda, the automotive giant made the decision of recalling approximately 375.000 vehicles, over NHTSA recent ruling. Faulty airbags force Mazda to recall vehicles and also prompting Takata to redesign the inflators from scratch.
Recently, Mazda has decided to recall approximately 375.000 vehicles due to the faulty inflators. It would seem that the airbags, produced by Takata, have a couple of technical issues that may put the driver’s life at risk. During recent tests, Takata has discovered a flaw in the airbag’s design. Upon inflation, the airbag also blows out the mechanical components inside the wheel, leading to metal fragments flying through the cockpit.
Moreover, it would seem that the haywire airbags have been involved in 9 deadly car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), several people lost their lives in car accidents after the airbags inside the wheel exploded, throwing around sharp pieces of shrapnel.
According to the Japanese car giant, several Mazda models will be submitted by this mass recall. The first model who will leave the scene is the Mazda6 model, manufactured from the 29th of May, 2002 until the 5th of May 2008. Moving on, the car manufacturer also plans of withdrawing the Mazdaspeed 6 model, which was produced between 2005 and 2007. The last model to be recalled is the limited RX-8, which was also produced between the 25th of June, 2003 and the 30th of June 2003.
Reports coming in from US’s road safety authority showed that the faulty airbags produced by Takata were involved in 9 deadly car accidents in 2015. Moreover, it also seems that this problem doesn’t involve only Mazda. Over 12 different car makers were forced to withdraw their vehicles from the market for the same problem. Presently, the airbag issue encompassed approximately 19 million vehicles. Moreover, Takata has to look over 23 million airbags.
The faulty airbags force Mazda to recall vehicles, but it seems that Mazda isn’t the only company which has to recall its products. Based of NHTSA’s recommendations, Mazda, Honda, and Subaru, must withdraw and additional 127.000 vehicles from the market. The mass recalls also includes celebrated vehicles such as the Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback and Honda CR-V, a model produced from 2003 to 2004.
Because Takata violated the car safety act, the NHTSA fined the company with 200 million dollars. But Takata needs to pay only 70 million dollars in cash. If the company doesn’t lift a finger to repair the airbags, then it will have to pay an additional 130 million dollars to the NHTSA.
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