Drivers warned of urgent vehicle recall for “critical” faulty airbags
A number of car manufacturers are warning drivers of the dangerous airbags and urging them to check their vehicles.
Defective Takata airbags in over 20,000 cars from various manufacturers are now classified as "critical" and drivers are being warned not to drive their vehicles until the airbags have been replaced. Cars from BMW, GM Holden, Honda, Mitsubishi and Toyota manufacturers are amongst those currently affected. These companies and the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) are highlighting the urgency of the situation and encouraging owners of these brands to check their vehicles online, and if they are affected to take action as soon as possible. Drivers are also being warned not to drive their cars until the situation is resolved.
Currently affected vehicles classified as "critical" are:
| Manufacturer | Number of cars affected | Models affected |
| Holden | 1,843 | 2010 Holden Cruze |
| Honda | 6,043 | Honda City MY2012, CR-V MY 2011, Insight MY2012-2013, Jazz MY2012-2014 & Jazz Hybrid MY2012-2013, Honda Civic MY2006-2011, Jazz Hybrid MY2012 and Legend MY2007-2012, Honda Accord MY2001-2007 and Honda MDX MY2003-2006 |
| Toyota | 582 | 2003 – 2005 Toyota Echo and Rav4 |
| BMW | 7,909 | BMW 5 Series (E39) MY2002-2003, BMW 3 Series (E46) MY2001-2006 & BMW X5 (E53) MY2003 |
| Mitsubishi | 3,254 | 2007 – 2014 ML & MN Triton.* |
*List of critical vehicles from the ACCC website.
ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard adamantly pressed the gravity of the issue and is urging drivers not to ignore messages from their manufacturers and to check their vehicles even if they had been checked previously. This is because the recall is a "rolling recall" which means that more cars can be and are being added to the "critical" category over time.
What to do if you think your car may be affected
Unfortunately, while there are a number of things that customers can look out for when selecting a car, there may also be some safety issues that are unavoidable, and couldn't be foreseen at the time of purchase. If you're concerned that your car may be among those affected by a faulty Takata airbag, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Drivers can check whether their car has been affected by visiting:
- IsMyAirbagSafe.com.au and entering their state/territory and registration plate number, or they can text 0487 AIRBAG (247224) and follow the prompts.
- ProductSafety.gov.au and checking either the active or future recalls lists which have more information available in regards to the recall.
- Their car manufacturer's website, where they can enter their VIN number into their Recall Database, or they can contact the manufacturer directly.
If a driver finds that their vehicle is in need of an airbag replacement, they can qualify for their car to be towed free of charge. Depending on the situation of the individual, they may also qualify for a free rental while their car is subject to repairs.
