Cars with dangerous Takata airbags to have registrations cancelled
The Andrews Government has vowed to crackdown on motorists who have refused to replace potentially deadly Takata airbags. This is how they plan to take the dangerous cars off our roads.
VIC News
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Motorists who have refused to replace potentially deadly Takata airbags are set to have their registration cancelled under a new push to remove dangerous cars from our roads.
It comes after Honda and Mitsubishi yesterday recalled 42,000 cars and urged their owners to stop driving immediately.
The Andrews Government will today announce that more than 400 cars in Victoria are still fitted with Takata alpha airbags, considered to be the most dangerous and defective model.
In an effort to eradicate the problem, drivers will receive one final warning in the mail before the Department of Transport moves to suspend or cancel their registration.
Letters will go out to owners of any car impacted by 2018’s compulsory national recall of Honda Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Mazda and Lexus models built between 2001 and 2004.
Road Safety Minister Jaala Pulford said manufacturers had already made repeated attempts to fix the most dangerous models since the recall was issued.
“We still have more than 400 vehicle owners who have not responded to the recall order,” she said.
“We don’t want to suspend or cancel anybody’s registration, but we will do whatever is necessary to get these potentially deadly airbags off our roads.”
It is believed there have been 29 deaths and more than 320 injuries worldwide from faulty Takata alpha airbags.
But a different model of airbag, the Takata NADI 5-AT, has also become a major issue for the motor industry after safety fears sparked thousands of recalls late last year.
Yesterday anyone with a Honda Or Mitsubishi built between 1996 and 2000 was urged to contact their manufacturer after the two companies were added to the recall list.
There are now 78,000 vehicles, across eight different companies, believed to be affected by the latest recall.
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Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Rod Sims said passengers in these cars could be killed if they did not deploy correctly in an accident.
“Two drivers have already died in Australia after their Takata NADI 5-AT airbags ruptured and propelled metal parts into the car interior,” he said.
“We urge owners to check if their vehicle is affected by visiting the Product Safety Australia website or contacting their manufacturer.
“The ACCC and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development expect manufacturers to work to get these cars off the road as quickly as possible.”
To find out of your car has been recalled please visit Is My Airbag Safe