November 6, 2014

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To find out if your vehicle has been recalled for any reason, enter your vehicle identification number (VIN) here.

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Lately airbags have likely been the cause of four recent deaths. When some of the airbags of one particular manufacturer named Takata inflated after a crash, metal fragments (shrapnel) burst through the airbags’ fabric and sliced through the passengers. Not only have 4 people died lately, but according to the New York Times, car manufacturers also accuse Takata of at least 139 injuries. Because of the defects, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is recalling a total of 14.2 million vehicles of various models containing the Takata airbags.

Takata has come up with different excuses of why the airbags react faultily, but after a year of study, Takata’s main explanation is that the airbags inflate improperly because of humidity. Apparently, moisture causes the defect, which is why the only places where there are recalls are in humid areas.

Recall areas are Florida, Puerto Rico, limited areas near the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana, as well as Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii.

Keep in mind, however, that Honda (the first manufacturer to have a recall) only added California to its recall list after a Californian died from an apparent airbag shrapnel attack. In other words, airbags may be defective in states other than the ones listed above, but automobiles may not be recalled by their manufacturer until someone dies or has a serious injury from the airbags. For this reason, ABC News states that some Congressmen want to recall all affected airbags, not just the ones utilized in the humid South.

When shopping for used cars, buyers can learn from the experience of Hien Tran, one of the people killed by airbag shrapnel. Go through the list provided below to make sure not to make Ms. Tran’s mistake by purchasing a vehicle with a faulty airbag.

If you do have a motor vehicle that has been recalled, get in touch with your dealer as soon as possible. Immediate replacement of all defective airbags is too much to hope for, as Honda and Toyota admit that they do not even have enough parts to do so, but your dealer will let you know how they will take care of your airbags.

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A list of automobiles with defective Takata airbags provided by the NHTSA.

BMW: 627,615 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sedan
2000 – 2006 3 Series Coupe
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon
2000 – 2006 3 Series Convertible
2001 – 2006 M3 Coupe
2001 – 2006 M3 Convertible

Chrysler: 371,309 total number of potentially affected vehicles
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 total number of potentially affected vehicles
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: 5,051,364 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2007 Honda Accord
2001 – 2002 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 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2007 Mazda6
2006 – 2007 MazdaSpeed6
2004 – 2008 Mazda RX-8
2004 – 2005 MPV
2004 – B-Series Truck

Mitsubishi: 11,985 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 – 2005 Lancer
2006 – 2007 Raider

Nissan: 694,626 total number of potentially affected vehicles
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 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Baja
2003 – 2005 Legacy
2003 – 2005 Outback
2004 – 2005 Impreza

Toyota: 877,000 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2002 – 2005 Lexus SC
2002 – 2005 Toyota Corolla
2003 – 2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix
2002 – 2005 Toyota Sequoia
2003 – 2005 Toyota Tundra