Over the last several years, airbag issues have made headlines with their propensity to either inflate at inappropriate times or fail to inflate, risking the safety of the driver and passenger. As of late January 2020, over six million Toyota and Honda vehicles are being recalled due to potential airbag failures. Although owners of the affected vehicles will be notified in the coming weeks and months, the companies are stating that repairs and replacements may not be available until late 2021.
Computer Failures
The main issue impacting Toyota vehicles is a defect in the ZF-TRW computer that may fail to send a signal to the airbags, preventing them from inflating when necessary. Current estimates indicate that as many as eight people have been killed by airbags that failed to inflate, and safety regulators are in the middle of conducting an investigation into these deaths. It could be that these failing computers affect up to 12.3 million vehicles in the U.S., so the problem may impact millions of drivers nationwide. Toyota issued a statement that these ZF-TRW computers may not be properly safeguarded against electrical interference. If a vehicle crashes, the computer may fail to alert the airbag to inflate, resulting in a partial or complete airbag failure.
More Takata Issues
The airbag failures affecting Honda vehicles pose a different danger—their sudden inflation has the potential to explore a metal canister, causing shrapnel to fly out and injure drivers and passengers. It’s estimated that as many as 2.7 million Honda vehicles throughout the United States and Canada may be impacted by this recall. This recall is different from the previous Takata recall, in which the inflators contained ammonium nitrate that contributed to the deaths of 25 individuals and caused injuries in hundreds of people worldwide.
Waiting For a Solution
While the consumers affected by this recall will be notified by the end of March 2020, both companies don’t expect replacement parts to be available for quite some time. In the meantime, drivers are invited to contact the customer service lines at either Honda or Toyota to ask about loaner cars while awaiting a permanent solution.
Lemon Law Partners, LLP is firmly committed to helping you understand your rights under California lemon laws. If you are dealing with a defective vehicle in the Oakland or Greater Bay Area, or you have questions about a potential recall affecting your vehicle, call (510) 944-0336 today to schedule a free case evaluation.
