7/10/2015

A Takata billboard in Tokyo
Photo courtesy of Thomson Reuters

It’s been a busy 48 hours for National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) chief Michael Rosekind. On Wednesday, the agency released the list of vehicles affected by the massive Takata airbag recall. In addition to the list that is published at the end of this posting, the NHTSA has created a vehicle identification number lookup that drivers can use to determine if their vehicle is affected. The release comes a day before Honda announced that is recalling an additional 4.5 million vehicles over the Takata issue, bringing the estimated total of vehicles affected by the recall to over 24.5 million. Prior to the Honda recall, Takata and the NHTSA have said approximately 33.8 million airbags were being recalled in total. Although the specific cause of the defect remains a mystery, many engineers believe that they have narrowed the problem down to the use of ammonium nitrate as the propellant in the airbag’s inflator mechanism. Experts believe that excess moisture causes the airbags to inflate with excessive force, spraying shrapnel into the vehicle’s cabin. 8 deaths and over 100 injuries have been attributed to the faulty airbags, including 7 deaths in the U.S.To add to the NHTSA’s docket, General Motors preceded the Honda recall when it announced on Wednesday that the automaker is issuing two recalls totaling 250,000 vehicles, including 196,000 Hummer H3 models. The vehicles affected are 2006-2010 H3 models and 2009-2010 H3T SUV models. The recall was issued over a faulty control module on the blower motor for the heating and air conditioning unit that has caught fire on some vehicles. GM has confirmed that three people have suffered burns and 42 fires have been reported in total. The company also issued a separate recall involving over 50,000 2014-2015 Chevrolet Sparks and 2015 Chevrolet Sonics over a faulty radio component. The defect can lock-up the OnStar system as well as kill seatbelt and key left in ignition chimes, which are considered to be safety hazards. The defect can also prevent the radio from turning off, potentially draining the battery. Honda’s airbag recalls affect certain 2007-2011 Fit, CR-V, and Stream models, including over 160,000 of the vehicles in Japan. Honda is Takata’s largest customer, and the company issued a prior recall involving models as new as 2014 in May. The airbag manufacturer is facing a shortage of replacement airbags, and despite the increasing evidence pointing blame at the compound, the company has continued to use ammonium nitrate as the airbag’s propellant.Both Rosekind and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx have called the Takata recall, “the most complex in U.S. auto history,” and the Transportation Department’s own Inspector General released a report last month faulting the NHTSA for its shaky rollout of information regarding the recall. Rosekind has said that it may take “months and even years” to reach a solution; nonetheless the agency has completed its list of vehicle makes and models affected by the Takata recall. Here is the list courtesy of MLive.com:BMW:2000 - 328i 2001-2006 - M3 2002-2003 - M5 2002-2006 - 325Ci 2002-2006 - 325Cic 2002-2006 - 330Ci 2002-2006 - 330Cic 2002-2005 - 325iT 2002-2005 - 325XiT 2000-2006 - 325i 2001-2006 - 325Xi 2001-2006 - 330i 2001-2006 - 330Xi 2002-2003 - 525i 2002-2003 - 525iT 2002-2003 - 530i 2002-2003 - 540i 2002-2003 - 540iT 2003-2004 - X5 3.0i 2003-2004 - X5 4.4iFCA (Chrysler):2007-2008 Chrysler Aspen 2005-2010 Chrysler 300 2005-2010 Chrysler 300C 2005-2010 Chrysler SRT8 2005-2010 Dodge Charger 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota 2004-2008 Dodge Durango 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum 2003-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 2003-2009 Dodge Ram 2500 2003-2009 Dodge Ram 3500 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500 2008-2010 Dodge Ram 5500Daimler Trucks North America:2008-2009 Sterling Bullet 4500 2008-2009 Sterling Bullet 5500Daimler Vans USA LLC:2006-2008 Dodge Sprinter 2500 2006-2008 Dodge Sprinter 3500 2006-2008 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 2006-2008 Freightliner Sprinter 3500Ford:2004-2006 Ranger 2005-2006 GT 2005-2014 MustangGeneral Motors (GM):2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 2007-2008 GMC Sierra 2500 2007-2008 GMC Sierra 3500 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe 2005 Saab 9-2xHonda:2001-2007 Accord 2001-2005 Civic 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid 2002-2006 CR-V 2003-2011 Element 2002-2004 Odyssey 2003-2008 Pilot 2002-2006 Ridgeline 2003 Acura CL 2002-2003 Acura TL 2003-2006 Acura MDX 2005 Acura RLMazda:2004-2006 B-Series Truck 2003-2008 Mazda6 2006-2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 2004-2005 MPV 2004-2008 RX-8Mitsubishi:2004-2006 Lancer 2004-2006 Lancer Evolution 2004 Lancer Sportback 2006-2010 Mitsubishi RaiderNissan:2002-2003 Nissan Maxima 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder 2003-2005 Infiniti FX35 2003-2005 Infiniti FX45 2002-2004 Infiniti I35 2006 Infiniti M35 2006 Infiniti M45 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4Subaru:2003-2005 Baja 2004-2005 Impreza 2003-2005 Legacy 2003-2005 OutbackToyota:2003-2007 Corolla 2003-2007 Corolla Matrix 2004-2005 Rav4 2002-2007 Sequoia 2003-2006 Tundra 2002-2007 Lexus SC Sources:MLive.com – David MullerThe Detroit News – David ShepardsonWall Street Journal – Yoko Kubota