Continental says less than two million of the affected vehicles are in the US.
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So far, the vehicles known from the larger total are 341,444 Honda Accord models from 2008-2010 and 112,001 vehicles from Fiat-Chrysler and Volkswagen, including the 2009 Dodge Journey, 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, and the 2009 Volkswagen Routan.
“For many years, our dealer agreements have required Honda and Acura dealers to complete any open recalls of which they have notice and ensure the vehicle is in proper operating condition prior to sale, whether new or used”, the spokesperson said. It also said there have been 74 injury allegations related to airbags that did not deploy but those aren’t confirmed. “Additionally, in some vehicles, the air bags may inadvertently deploy, increasing the risk of a crash”, said NHTSA.
“I think we all agree that there’s an increasing awareness of the entire concept of vehicle recalls”, Brauer said.
The other vehicle makers could not be reached immediately.
As of now, around 600,000 vehicles in the US have actually been recalled, though that number is set to still grow. Honda will install new inflators in the affected cars for free, but the automaker says parts won’t be available until summer because of how many cars are involved. But the defect – which can cause airbags to over-inflate and spew shrapnel into the passenger compartment – has now forced the recall of more than 20 million vehicles by at least 10 manufacturers in the US alone.
Carmakers will replace the computers at no cost to owners, according to documents.
In January 2008, Continental conducted its first round of investigation when a malfunctioning air bag control system was removed from a Mercedes auto. As such, the recall covers control units built between 2006 and 2011. More than 126,000 Mercedes C-series released in 2008 and 2009 including 2010 GLK250 cars are also bound to be recalled from existing users.
Takata Corp., the air-bag supplier at the center of a global consumer safety crisis, reported quarterly profit rose from a year earlier, as it seeks to convince automakers including Honda Motor Co.to continue to support it through expanding recalls.
According to the supplier, the electronics within its airbags may fail. The manufacturers are to notify customers and replace the units. Parts are expected to be available in Fall 2016.
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A Honda spokesman said the order is based on preliminary information and the company is still determining which specific vehicles are affected by the recall. The automaker estimates owners should be able to search to see if their VIN is under Takata recall on Honda and NHTSA websites around February 15.
