Why Illinois drivers can't replace faulty air bags - Chicago Daily Herald
Millions of Honda, Ford, GM, BMW, Acura, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Nissan and Chrysler vehicles are being recalled because of fatal flaws in driver and front passenger air bags manufactured by Japanese-based supplier Takata that are linked with... Yes, the odds of being hit with shrapnel if the air bag explodes are minuscule, but who wants to take the risk. As a result of a consent order reached in May between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Takata, automakers are recalling about 34 million vehicles and installing replacement air bags. Air bag fatalities have occurred in Oklahoma, Virginia, California, Florida, Texas and Louisiana, plus one overseas in Malaysia. continues to show that exposure over a period of many years to a climate of persistent heat and high absolute humidity are the primary factors in the small number of inflaters that have malfunctioned," Takata spokesman Jared Levy said. Another culprit could be the chemical -- ammonium nitrate -- Takata uses to inflate air bags. Normally, chemicals housed in a small metal container ignite when a crash occurs, causing a reaction that inflates the air bag. The danger occurs when the chemical reaction is too intense and the containers explode, projecting metal pieces. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was not aware of any. Source: www.dailyherald.com
