Australia’s largest ever recall is now well underway with new figures released today detailing the first quarter of compulsory Takata airbag replacements under the Mandatory Recall Notice issued by the Australian Government.
ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard explained that more than 350,000 faulty Takata airbags were replaced in the quarter following 1 July 2018, equal to more than 3,000 replacements each day. Some 2.5 million faulty Takata airbags have already been replaced in around 1.6 million vehicles to date, since the start of voluntary recalls in 2009. The Government put manufacturers on notice in February when they were forced to comply with strict deadlines to replace potentially deadly Takata airbags by the end of 2020.
“We are pleased to see that car manufacturers are taking their responsibilities seriously and working hard to replace faulty airbags from customers’ cars. The safety of drivers is our highest priority and we must ensure these dangerous airbags are off our roads,” Rickard Commented “Consumers who have been contacted by their manufacturer to have their car’s airbag replaced are urged to book in their cars for a free replacement before the Christmas holiday period. Don’t delay taking action when you get a recall notification letter.”
Rickard went on to explain that affected airbags are being replaced according to a determined schedule that considers a number of risk factors, including airbags in older vehicles and vehicles in hot and humid conditions. This means that the recalls for some affected cars aren’t scheduled until later, however, all bags, including ‘like for like’ bags will need to be replaced by December 2020. In July car manufacturers launched a national awareness campaign asking consumers to check whether their vehicle is fitted with one of these dangerous inflators.