Mercedes, Ferrari Among Companies Selling Cars with Faulty Airbags

According to a U.S. Senate report released this week, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari are selling vehicles equipped with faulty Takata airbags. And while it’s perfectly legal, safety advocates have criticized the automakers for not replacing the airbags before selling the cars.

Florida Senator Bill Nelson is one of those critics, saying the report reveals “the failure of certain automakers and regulators to level with people about the true extent of the problem.” Still, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the Takata airbags won’t pose a danger until they are exposed to high humidity levels for an extended period of time. The airbags in these vehicles will be declared defective by 2018, and automakers will then have to prepare recalls. Both automakers say they will give customers a heads-up about the future recalls.

Among the vehicles in question are the 2016-2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe and convertible, 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and practically every Ferrari on sale. Those include the FF, California T, 488 GTB and 488 Spider, F12 and F12tdf, and GTC4Lusso.

Mercedes and Ferrari aren’t the only automakers selling cars with faulty airbags. Nelson says seven out of 17 automakers have admitted to the same thing. Previously, another Senate report revealed that Fiat Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Volkswagen were among those selling cars with the defective Takata inflators. Affected models include the 2016 Volkswagen CC, 2016 Audi TT, 2017 Audi R8, 2016 and 2017 Mitsubishi i, and others.

Takata has been criticized for failing to use a drying agent on its airbags with ammonium nitrate, which can degrade when exposed to moisture. Its airbags can explode with too much force when activated, spewing metal shards throughout the cabin.

Source: Reuters, Los Angeles Times

The post Mercedes, Ferrari Among Companies Selling Cars with Faulty Airbags appeared first on Motor Trend.

from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/29Orjv9