Takata Airbag Vehicle Recall: What We Know So Far

The Takata Airbag scandal has taken the automotive world by storm, with over 10 million vehicles in the United States being recalled, and more than 75,000 vehicles in Singapore affected by a worldwide recall caused by a potentially fatal flaw in the airbag system.

Cars fitted with airbags supplied by Japan’s Takata Corp have been found to be defective. In a collision, these airbags could send metal shrapnel flying into the head and torso of drivers. This serious flaw was discovered when incidents of drivers being injured worldwide and at least 13 fatalities were attributed to the killer airbags, with two recorded in Malaysia last year. Many victims bled to death from neck wounds.

The Land Transport Authority has stated that there have been a total of 43 recall exercises, involving eight vehicle makes and about 130,000 airbag inflators, since the recalls were first initiated in Singapore in 2013, . Vehicles that are most at risk are prioritised for recall.

The affected vehicle makes are listed below.

(Table: LTA)

As some importers obtain cars from brokers, they may not be in the communication loop with the manufacturers. If so, the parallel importers here will not be in the loop either – assuming they are all still in business or have not changed their names.

LTA has mentioned that there is no “specific timeframe” for dealers to fix the defects, and added that it will “continue to monitor the situation closely”.

For drivers who are still in doubt, it is highly advisable to contact your dealer, parallel importer or the LTA as soon as possible to rectify the situation.