Posts Tagged ‘airbag news’
Australian man dies driving Honda CRV.
by Michael Strong on Jul.25, 2017

Takata's faulty airbags claimed their 18th victim recently, the first fatality in Australia.
The recent death of an Australian man due to faulty Takata airbags brings the global total of deaths attributable to them to 18, although it was the first fatality in Australia.
Investigators told Reuters the man was struck in the neck by a small fragment of an airbag that was subject to recall. Takata’s airbag inflators can degrade over time, spraying metal shards around a vehicle when the airbag is deployed.

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Honda officials said the accident was still under investigation and were not able to determine whether the airbag in question was an original model or a replacement. Takata did not respond to a request for comment. (more…)
Tags: Australian man dies due to airbag, Takata 18th airbag fatality, Takata airbag death Australia, Takata news, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, michael strong, thedetroitbureau
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GM fund manager Feinberg was expected to handle.
by Michael Strong on Apr.07, 2017

Former FBI Director Robert Mueller III will oversee the disbursement of funds from the $1 billion Takata restitution funds.
When Takata agreed to form $1 billion restitution fund for victims of its faulty airbags, it was almost assumed that Kenneth Feinberg would oversee the disbursement of those funds. He’d handled it for General Motors and several other high profile funds.
However, U.S. District Judge George Steeh in Detroit appears set to appoint former FBI Director Robert Mueller III to oversee the fund. The court appointed Mueller, who headed the FBI during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as special master in the high-profile case.

The Last Word!
Steeh apparently liked Mueller’s qualifications, in particular the fact he was settlement master in the Volkswagen diesel emissions case. Feinberg, who also oversaw compensation for 9/11 victims, was considered. (more…)
Tags: Mueller not Feinberg handling Takata fund, Mueller picked for Takata restitution fund, Takata news, Takata restitution fund news, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, federal judge picks Mueller for $1 billion Takata fund, former FBI director overseeing Takata fund, michael strong, recall news, thedetroitbureau
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Honda, Nissan, Toyota, BMW and Ford all named in lawsuits.
by Michael Strong on Feb.28, 2017

Takata victims file claiming five automakers knew about airbag defect, but used them anyway.
As Takata pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a $1 billion in restitution, compensation and fines, one issue remains in doubt: What role did the automakers play?
If you listen to the car companies, they are victims as well. In fact, the settlement agreement shows them receiving $825 million due to Takata’s carelessness.

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The airbag inflators can explode with too much force in certain conditions, hurling shrapnel into the vehicle cabin. The result is 16 deaths and nearly 200 injuries worldwide. It forced the largest recall in U.S. history: 42 million vehicles. (more…)
Tags: Takata airbag problems, Takata airbag scandal, Takata news, Takata paying $1 billion, Takata victims suing automakers, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, automakers deny Takata culpability, michael strong, takata airbag recall, thedetroitbureau
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More than 652,000 vehicles involved in latest action.
by Michael Strong on Jan.19, 2017

Thirteen automakers issued recalls for 652,000 more vehicles with defective Takata airbags.
More than a dozen automakers are engaging in another round of recalls involving faulty Takata airbag inflators impacting more than 652,000 vehicles in the U.S.
The largest recall in U.S. history continued when Audi, Nissan, Jaguar-Land Rover, Subaru, Daimler Vans, Tesla, Mitsubishi, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Mazda, McLaren and Fisker issued recalls for front passenger inflators.

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Takata’s inflators degrade over time and can explode with too much force sending pieces of metal shrapnel flying into the vehicle cabin. More than a dozen people have been killed as a result with hundreds more injured. (more…)
Tags: Takata 5.7 million airbag recalls, Takata news, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, automakers recall 652K vehicles, makers forced to recall 652k vehicles, michael strong, takata airbag recall, thedetroitbureau
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Ford recalls 816K vehicles just one day after Honda's action on 1.29 million.
by Michael Strong on Jan.12, 2017

The 2012 Ford Mustang is part of the latest recall of vehicles equipped with faulty Takata airbags.
Takata Corp. is going to pay $1 billion and plead guilty to fraud as part of a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, according to reports.
The deal completes the government’s criminal investigation into the Japanese auto supplier’s faulty airbags, which under certain conditions will explode spraying shrapnel into the cabin of the vehicle.

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More than 15 people globally – 11 in the U.S. – have died as a result of the airbags and hundreds have been injured. It is the largest automotive recall in history. (more…)
Tags: Ford recalls 816k vehicles, Takata $1 billion settlement, Takata Ford recall, Takata exploding airbags, Takata faulty airbags, Takata federal safety officials, Takata news, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, ford news, michael strong, thedetroitbureau
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New fine was impact recall efforts.
by Michael Strong on Dec.29, 2016

Takata appears to be ready to accept a $1 billion settlement on criminal charges from the Department of Justice.
Takata may be moving to close another chapter in its troubled history with defective airbags by agreeing to a $1 billion criminal settlement.
The deal with the Justice Department, according to the Wall Street Journal, would not halt the ongoing recall efforts. The Japanese supplier is expected to plead guilty to a variety of charges as part of the deal.

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It is part of the largest automotive recall in history, involving about 42 million vehicles and more than 64 million faulty airbags. (more…)
Tags: DOJ fining Takata $1 billion, DOJ news, Justice Department Takata, Takata $1 billion fine, Takata fined by Justice Department, Takata news, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, michael strong, thedetroitbureau
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Software glitch prevents airbags from deploying in crash.
by Michael Strong on Sep.09, 2016

General Motors announced it was recalling 4.3 million vehicles due to an airbag defect.
General Motors is recalling almost 4.3 million cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles built in the last three years due to a software defect that could prevent airbags from deploying in a collision. The problem has been linked to one death and three injuries.
The company said the sensing and diagnostic module that controls airbag deployment has a software defect that may prevent the deployment of frontal airbags in certain “rare circumstances when a crash is preceded by a specific event impacting vehicle dynamics.”

Safety News!
GM discovered the problem after a report was filed in its Speak Up for Safety system relating to a crash involving a 2014 model year Chevrolet Silverado truck in which the driver’s frontal airbag and seatbelt pretensioners were alleged not to have deployed. (more…)
Tags: GM 4.3 million airbag recall, GM Recall, GM airbag defect, GM recalls 4.3 million, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, general motors recall, gm airbag recall, gm news, michael strong, recall news, thedetroitbureau
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NHTSA, automaker telling some owners to drive straight to dealers.
by Michael Strong on Jul.01, 2016

NHTSA and Honda are telling owner of several Honda-produced vehicles, including the 2001-2003 Civic, to drive straight to dealers to repair faulty airbags.
Federal safety officials and Honda executives are imploring owners of several older Hondas to park their vehicles until they can get into a dealership to replace potentially deadly airbag inflators in the vehicles. The units are part of the larger Takata airbag recall, but due to their age and location they are considered more dangerous than other faulty airbags.
“We want to get them off the road,” said Honda spokesman Marcos Frommer.”We want them to drive them right to the dealer and get them repaired,”

The Last Word!
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued the warning covering about 313,000 vehicles from model years 2001 to 2003 that have airbag inflators made by Takata, which is subject of the largest recall in history. (more…)
Tags: Honda Takata airbag threat, Honda Takata airbags, Honda airbag problem, NHTSA orders Honda off roads, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, auto safety news, dangerous Takata airbags, faulty Honda airbgs, michael strong, older Honda airbags dangerous, thedetroitbureau
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“I want to pass the baton.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.28, 2016

Takata CEO Shigehisa Takada has apologized for the airbag scandal but will soon step down.
The CEO of safety systems supplier Takata plans to resign, a move that could help the tarnished Japanese manufacturer raise the capital necessary for its survival.
Takata CEO Shigehisa Takada has come under intense fire in the wake of revelations about the company’s airbag systems, which have been linked to the deaths of at least 14 people worldwide, with more than 100 other injured. That has triggered the largest recall in U.S. automotive history, so far affecting more than 40 million vehicles.

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Takata has been struggling to supply enough new airbag inflators to replace those under recall, and its cash crunch has made it difficult to ramp up production. The company has been looking at restructuring opportunities that might include finding a buyer. (more…)
Tags: Takada plans to resign, Takata CEO resigning, Takata airbag problems, Takata airbag scandal, Takata boss to resign, Takata chief leaving, Takata news, TheDetroitBureau.com., airbag news, auto news, paul a. eisenstein, takata airbag recall, thedetroitbureau
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Takata defect not the only problem.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.24, 2016

The 2010 Lexus GX is part of the most recent airbag-related recall for Toyota.
Nearly 2 million more vehicles are being recalled by Toyota and Fiat Chrysler due to a series of airbag problems, the vast majority of them involving defective Takata airbag inflators.
Designed to enhance crash safety, airbags have become a major headache for automakers around the world due to design and manufacturing issues. The Takata problem alone has already become the largest recall in U.S. automotive history, impacting as many as 20 different automakers.

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The largest of the two new recalls involves 1.6 million Toyota vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. The service action affects both the driver and passenger front airbags on vehicles as much as a decade old and sold through the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. (more…)
Tags: FCA news, Fiat Chrysler airbag problem, Safety recalls, Takata faulty airbags, TheDetroitBureau.com., Toyota Lexus Scion airbag problem, airbag news, auto news, fca airbag recall, paul a. eisenstein, safety news, thedetroitbureau, toyota airbag recall, toyota news
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