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Millions of Cars Recalled for Air Bag Defect, Japanese Automakers Hit Hard

Nearly 3.4 million older-model automobiles are being recalled worldwide because of defective air bags that could send shrapnel flying into the passenger compartment. Six automakers, including Honda, Nissan, and Toyota have been affected by the recall. This recall mainly affects cars in North America, Japan, and Europe that were sold by Japanese automakers; however, a small number of vehicles made by GMC and Germany’s BMW AG are also involved.

The front passenger air bags were all produced by Japan’s Takata Corp. The cars subject to the recall have faulty inflator mechanisms that do not properly route gas into the air bags. In the vehicles with defective air bags, high-pressure gas can launch plastic and metal parts from the air bags into the passenger compartment when inflated. There have been six reported incidents of the air bags deploying improperly on roadways, but no one has reported injuries.

This recall only adds to the problems Toyota Motor Corp. has faced since October. The world’s top-selling car company has faced four recalls since October that involve more than one million vehicles. The company also dealt with massive recalls in 2009 and 2010 for defective floor mats, faulty braking, and sticky gas pedals. This recall involves 1.7 million Toyota vehicles worldwide that were manufactured from 2001 to 2003. Honda Motor Corp. is recalling 1.1 million vehicles worldwide and Nissan Motor Corp. is recalling 480,000 vehicles worldwide. Mazda Motor Co. and GM will recall 45,000 and 55,000 vehicles worldwide respectively.

Japanese, other automakers hit with air bag recall, www.palmbeachpost.com April 11, 2013


Two human errors are blamed for the defect. Parts were improperly stored and exposed to humidity and an employee failed to turn on the switch for a system weeding out defective products. The automakers will inspect the air bag inflators and replace them if necessary with no cost to owners.

Safety is a top priority when operating an automobile. Unfortunately, many drivers do not become aware of the dangerous defective products in their vehicles until it is too late. The Coral Gables consumer advocates at the Friedland | Carmona are experienced automobile accident lawyers who work to recover the most amount of compensation for their clients. If you or a loved one has been injured in an unsafe vehicle or any other type of motor vehicle accident, call the Miami personal injury attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona today. Don’t hesitate as the law places strict time limits on these types of claims. Call (305) 661-2008 today for your free consultation.

The Miami product liability lawyers at the Friedland | Carmona handle all types of motor vehicle accidents throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. The Friedland | Carmona handles all types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and falls and construction site injuries.

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