Air Bag Recall Affects 3.3 Million Japanese Vehicles

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on May 13, 2013

Japanese automakers Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mazda recently announced a massive worldwide recall of 3.3 million vehicles due to problems with passenger-side air bags. In some models, air bags on the passenger side of the cabin can deploy with too much force, spraying shards of metal throughout the cabin. The automakers recently announced the recall during a press conference in Tokyo, reporting that it affects around 1.7 million Toyotas, 1.1 million Hondas, 480,000 Nissans and 20,000 Mazdas sold around the world. Approximately 1.4 million models affected by the recall were sold in the U.S.

This is the second recall affecting air bags in Honda automobiles. In 2008, Honda recalled nearly two million vehicles for excessively powerful driver’s-side air bags. During the Tokyo press conference, Honda reported that it was unaware of any injuries related to passenger-side air bags affected by this recent recall. However, in late 2011, Honda did acknowledge at least two deaths and 18 injuries due to problems with driver’s side air bags in its vehicles.

Honda spokesman Chris Martin said in an email that the two air bag issues are unrelated and that passenger-side air bags deploy much differently than those installed to protect drivers. He wrote that instead of sending metal fragments directly at the driver, the passenger’s air bag “could propel metal fragments upward toward the windshield or downward toward the front passenger’s foot well.”

The air bags affected by the recall were manufactured by the Takata Corporation, which manufactures air bags for Japanese automakers, as well as GM and BMW. Toyota models affected by the recall include the 2001-2003 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia and Tundra and the Lexus SC 430. Mazda models include the 2003-4 Mazda 6 and 2004 RX-8. Nissan models affected by this recall include the 2001-3 Nissan Maxima, Infiniti FX, Infiniti QX4, Nissan Pathfinder and Nissan Sentra. The Hondas being recalled are 2002-3 CR-V models, 2001-3 Civics and 2002 Odyssey minivans.

Air bags have to deploy with a certain amount of explosive force in order to protect people from serious injury in a collision and have been proven very effective in doing so. That said, it is easy to see how an improperly designed or manufactured airbag that sends shards of metal into a confined space at a high rate of speed could result in very serious injuries. If you have been injured due to a defective air bag or any other defective product and would like to learn more about your legal options, call Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587). He has been helping injured people receive the fair and just compensation they deserve since 1977. Call today to get an experienced air bag recall lawyer on your side!

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.