Is your vehicle still safe?

Takata airbag recall  

At the moment, there are still around 6,000 faulty Takata airbags in need of replacement in Tasmania, with around 85,000 replaced so far.  

The Takata airbag defect is linked to a faulty inflation canister, which can rupture when the airbag inflates. This could potentially cause serious injuries and even death as metal fragments are propelled out through the airbag cushion. It only takes one faulty device to lead to tragedy, which is why we want all Tasmanians to check if their car is safe. 

Vehicles older than six years, those in hot and humid conditions and with driver-side inflators are being prioritised on recall lists, which are regularly updated. Therefore, Tasmania’s remaining recall list will continue to grow as airbags get older. This is why you should regularly check your vehicle. 

Which car models are impacted?

As of April 2020, the national recall list includes models of Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Citroen, Ferrari, Ford, Holden, Honda, Jaguar, Jeep, Lexus, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Mustang, Nissan, Skoda, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen. 

It’s unknown how many more Tasmanian cars will be added in the future, but a number of Mercedes-Benz models are set to join the recall list between now and June 2020. 

Critical Takata airbags 

Within the remaining list of 6,000 airbags are a small number of critical airbags, including the ‘alpha’ range that were supplied to some vehicles between 2001 and 2004.
These critical airbags should be replaced immediately. If you haven’t done so as part of the mandatory national recall, you’ll receive a registration suspension notice from the Tasmanian Government. 

What should you do? 

If your car’s manufacturer contacts you about replacing your airbag, get in touch with your dealer immediately, who will replace it for free. 

If you’re selling, buying or registering a car, you and the owner are responsible for checking if it’s fitted with a faulty airbag, and if it is, to organise a free replacement. 

There’s a range of ways to check if your airbag is safe. Don’t delay, find out at ACCC Product Safety, FCAI Is my airbag safe? and the Personal Property Securities Register. 

Are there any other recalls I should know about?  

There are thousands of other recalls for both cars and car parts in Australia at the moment – around 2800 to be exact. 

The top 10 car makes that are most affected include: 

• Mercedes-Benz

• Toyota

• Ford

• Holden

• Chrysler

• Peugeot

• Mitsubishi

• Nissan

• Land Rover

• Volvo

So you can check if your car's affected, you can visit the ACCC Product Safety site.