U.S. Car Manufacturers Recall Millions of Cars because of Auto Defects, Defective Airbags

Several major car companies have recently issued massive recalls of vehicles containing potentially defective parts, including airbag components.
The most recent airbag safety issue revolves around airbags installed by German-based Continental Automotive Systems into U.S. cars manufactured by Fiat Chrysler, Honda and Mercedes-Benz. Vehicles containing airbag control units supplied by Continental were found to be defective because they could fail to deploy during serious car accidents, while also having the potential to deploy at other, inopportune moments for no reason at all.
The airbag failure was discovered by investigators with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after the federal agency received a complaint about airbag deployment issues in a 2008 Honda Accord. The air bag safety issue reportedly exists in units installed in approximately five million cars built between 2006 and 2010, with up to two million of these vehicles currently being driven on U.S. roadways.
The Continental airbag recall is just the latest in a series of vehicle recalls issued by U.S. auto manufacturers. For example, more than a dozen automakers have already recalled 25 million cars containing dangerous airbag inflators manufactured by Takata Corp. The Takata airbags are prone to rupturing, which can result in vehicle drivers and passengers being hit by metal fragments when the airbags deploy. To date, the Takata airbags have reportedly been connected to 10 wrongful deaths.
Additionally, Toyota Motor Corp. recently declared that it was issuing a recall of more than 300,000 vehicles manufactured between 2003 and 2006 because the cars have faulty programming that can lead to airbag deployment difficulties.
For additional information about the recent vehicle recalls, check out the Reuters.com article, “Continental Says Five Million Vehicles Worldwide May Have Faulty Air Bags.â€
 
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of a defective product or in a car accident, the best thing you can do is talk to a qualified personal injury and product liability attorney. The experienced product liability lawyers at Lombardi & Lombardi can help you explore all of your legal options. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at one of our offices in Edison, Brick or Freehold, New Jersey.