airbags

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#148, Tow truck driver talks COVID-19, airbags

Ray Elliott, a tow truck driver in the south San Francisco Bay Area, has viewed the mistakes motorists make so often he started a website several years ago called Idiots on the Interstate (idiotsontheinterstate.com). The site is void of advanced graphics and is perhaps best described as primitive. But it’s chock-full of information, videos and Elliott’s opinions about the pathetic, often tragic and often preventable accidents and incidents he’s witnessed throughout his long career. Elliott has arrived on the scene of every kind of accident imaginable, sometimes before law enforcement personnel or first responders. He has seen fender benders and death, and he has saved lives and comforted many in need. Part of Elliott’s introduction on his website, lets the

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#145, Author unloads on Takata in new Killer Airbags book

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:17 — 59.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreJerry W. Cox has a stark warning for the driving public. He says 12 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads have defective Takata-made airbags that still have not been replaced. Cox, a former consultant for the now-defunct Japanese automotive parts company, discusses the details in his new book “Killer Airbags: The Deadly Secret Automakers Don’t Want You To Know.” Now an automotive consultant, Cox is our guest on Episode #145 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Cox what he believes is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Killer Airbags details the events that led to the airbag

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Massive airbag recall includes six million Honda, Toyota models

Another day, another airbag recall. This time, it involves more than six million Honda and Toyota vehicles. Toyota has recalled 3.4 million vehicles worldwide with ZF airbags that may not properly inflate. Honda is recalling 2.7 million vehicles for problems with Takata airbags. The Honda recall covers certain Honda and Acura vehicles from the 1996 to 2003 model years. The Honda vehicles included: 1998 to 2000 Accord coupe and sedan, 1996 to 2000 Civic coupe and sedan, the 1997 to 2001 CR-V, the 1998 to 2001 Odyssey and the 1997 and 1998 EV Plus. Toyota’s upscale brand Acura has an equally wide recall list: vehicles 1997 and 1998 2.2CL, the 1997 to 1999 3.0CL, the 1998 and 1999 2.3CL, the

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Honda, Acura finish long Takata fiasco with 1.6 airbag recalls

Honda and Acura are recalling 1.6 million cars dating from 2001 to 2015 in the manufacturers’ last phase of a several-year recall of potentially deadly Takata front passenger airbag inflators. The airbags, made with the chemical ammonium nitrate, are prone to exploding upon deployment, potentially hurling fiery shrapnel into passengers. Twenty-four people have been killed and hundreds injured by the inflators worldwide. When the newly announce recall is complete, Honda says it will have recalled or accounted for 22.6 million inflators in about 12.9 million vehicles. Affected Honda models include the 2001-2012 Accord, the 2010-2015 Crosstour, the 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, the 2011-2015 CR-Z, the 2003-2011 Element, the 2007-2014 Fit, the 2010-2014 Insight, the 2002-2004 Odyssey, the 2003-2015 Pilot and the

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Takata airbag recall explodes, 70 million cars now at risk

The seemingly never-ending safety concerns of the automotive industry have been further complicated by the vastly expanded airbag recall involving parts made by Takata. At risk, according the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are now as many as nearly 70 million vehicles from nearly every major and some niche manufacturers. The expansion primarily affects passenger-side inflators not covered by previous recalls. It will also cover inflators in vehicles made by Jaguar-Land Rover, Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive for the first time. Fourteen other auto companies, including American Honda, Ford, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, General Motors, Nissan and Fiat-Chrysler already are affected by the original recall. Takata is already is responsible for replacing 29 million faulty inflators already involved with the largest

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Honda recalls 1.7 million vehicles in Takata airbag mess

Honda has ordered a massive recall and stop-sale notice to its U.S. dealerships. The reason: An estimated 1.7 million of the manufacturer’s vehicles, including the Honda Fit and Honda Ridgeline models years from 2007 to 2015, could have exploding Takata airbag inflators. According to the manufacturer, dealers have been warned they could face “legal exposure” for unrepaired vehicles if the order is violated. Honda Dealers Responsible The recall and stop-sale order covers the 2007-11 CR-V crossover, 2011-15 CR-Z coupe, 2009-13 Fit, 2013-14 Fit EV, 2010-14 Insight hybrid and the 2007-14 Ridgeline. The manufacturer’s actions were first reported by the website Automotive News. Honda reported driver-side airbag inflators in these vehicles may experience “over-pressurization” due to exposure to high temperatures and

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Airbag apocalypse: Takata recall leaps to 34 million

Takata, the Japanese airbag supplier, has jolted the automotive industry with its announcement Tuesday that 34 million vehicles from 10 manufacturers were equipped with defective inflator mechanisms. The total is double the previously released total, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall is believed to be the largest in NHTSA’s history. Under an agreement, NHTSA issued what’s called a consent order to Takata. It requires the company to cooperate fully with the agency’s investigation. NHTSA also announced it will begin a formal legal process “to organize and prioritize the replacement of defective Takata inflators under the agency’s legal authority.” The problem: Takata airbags can potentially explode, sending metal shards flying into the passenger compartment. The airbags

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BMW joins massive airbag recall list

More than 1.5 BMW 3 Series vehicles from 2000 to 2006 are being recalled to replace passenger-side front airbags, the luxury carmaker announced. The manufacturer said the recall is a “voluntary precautionary measure” aimed at minimizing the risk of faulty airbag activation. This issue is airbag supplied to BMW by Tokyo-based Takata Corporation. The airbag could rupture under certain circumstances, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. If the rupture occurs, shards could fly out and cause injury. Several other automakers since 2009, including Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota, have recalled 10 million vehicles affected by the same problem. About one-third, or 574,000 of the BMW cars recalled, are in the United States. BMW said it

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Recall madness: Honda, Nissan, Mazda . . . airbags

Honda, Nissan and Mazda combined are recalling about 1.3 million cars in North America and more than 3 million globally for faulty airbags manufactured by the Takata Corp. Honda is recalling 1.02 million Civic, CR-V, Odyssey and Element models manufactured between April 2000 and October 2002. Nissan is recalling 228,00 vehicles. Mazda is recalling about 15,000 of the RX-8 and Mazda6. Takata airbags were last involved in a recall in 2013 when Japanese automakers recalled 3.4 million vehicles worldwide because of faulty airbags. In early June (2014), Toyota recalled 844,277 with similar problems. The exact cause of the airbag issue has not been determined. One theory is that defective inflators can explode when deployed because of the propellent’s sensitivity to

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Crash Test Dummy mangled in NHTSA faulty air bag video

Counterfeit air bags are being sold to repair shops for discounted prices resulting in more than 20 manufacturers’ vehicles being at risk, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The report released by the NHTSA details vehicles which have had an air bag replaced within the past three years by a repair shop not part of a new car dealership may be at risk. The risk is severe enough the NHTSA has a video showing what happens to a crash test dummy when it’s involved the crash of vehicle equipped with a faulty air bag. The 30-second spot below doesn’t have audio and it doesn’t need it. The consumer safety agency become aware of the problem after the

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