NHTSA Confirms 11th Takata Airbag Death in the U.S.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed the eleventh U.S. fatality tied to the rupture of Takata airbag inflators. The victim, a 50-year-old female, died as a result of injuries sustained in a crash in Riverside County, Calif. on September 30. She was driving a 2001 Honda Civic.

According to NHTSA, the vehicle was recalled in 2008 but never underwent the necessary repairs. The model was recently put on a list of vehicles NHTSA deemed had a “substantially higher risk” for airbag ruptures.

“With as high as a 50 percent chance of a dangerous air bag inflator rupture in a crash, these vehicles are unsafe and need to be repaired immediately,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement released June 30. Safety regulators have instructed drivers not to operate these vehicles unless directly to a dealership. Other than the 2001 Honda Civic, these “higher-risk” vehicles include the 2002 Honda Civic, 2001-2002 Honda Accord, 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL, 2002 Honda CR-V, 2002 Honda Odyssey, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, and 2003 Honda Pilot.

The tenth U.S. fatality linked to Takata airbags was a teenager driving a 2002 Honda Civic. There are just under 300,000 vehicles in the indicated higher-risk population that have not yet been repaired or accounted for, Honda says.

By 2019, nearly 70 million Takata airbags will have been recalled. Ammonium nitrate used in the Takata airbag inflators could degrade over time if exposed to heat and moisture. When this occurs, the compound may ignite with too much force during a crash, sending metal shrapnel throughout the cabin.

Source: NHTSA

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