2016/17 Passenger Air Bag Recall

[bradleydavidgood777]

Hi,

I just got this notice of a recall. Summary is that 2016 and 2017 i-MiEV passenger side frontal air bag inflator housing can rupture when exposed to continued high humidity. In event of crash and deployment metal fragments can injure or kill the passenger.

Contact dealer to replace - half an hours work.

Will be contacting my dealer shortly.

Just thought I'd put a post out there in case anyone didn't get the notice.

I realize that there are a limited amount of 16 and 17s out there.

 

[wmcbrine]

It sounds identical to the recall for the same issue in earlier model years.

 

[bradleydavidgood777]

That's interesting. I wonder why the delay then.

 

[Don]

The 'high humidity' factor was quoted in millions of airbag recalls - Early on, they were only going to recall them for cars which lived in higher than usual humidity conditions - Southern coastal and island locations. I think this was only discovered when airbags which were several years old were shown to have rust problems on some key components, so I would imagine that on a 2016 or 2017 car, it's not too big of concern until the car gets to be at least 3 or 4 years old

The recall for 2012's was only a year or 18 months ago

Don

 

[Aerowhatt]

I read an interview with a chemical engineer from Takata. He had quit when they decided on a less expensive, less stable propellant compound than what is most widely accepted in the industry. This was to cut cost, increase market share and boost profits.

As this engineer warned them at the time. Over time the compound degraded and this degradation was exacerbated by high heat and high humidity. The degraded compound combusts erratically and uncontrollably. The gasses can't escape the cartridge to the air bag fast enough so the cartridge explodes sending metal casing fragments into the cabin like bullets.

Many of the replacement airbags are?/were the same compound and Takata Brand. Simply because no other supply for the recalls was/is adequate. Our Honda Fit drivers side airbag replacement was like that. It said (temp) right on the invoice paperwork. Millions of the replacement airbags will be recalled again in about three years. If your Takata airbag was replaced by a Takata replacement, especially early on. Chances are decent that you have a newer, identical defective airbag. Clock ticking down to when it becomes potentially dangerous

Aerowhatt