Better informing consumers and encouraging them to repair their vehicles if they are concerned is the aim of the campaign launched by the Ministry of Transport regarding vehicles equipped with Takata airbags.
These airbags are installed in cars manufactured between 1998 and 2019 and can become defective and cause damage. serious injuries or even fatal for the driver and front passenger. “Due to humidity and heat, vehicles circulating in overseas departments and regions are more exposed to this risk,” reads the government’s information campaign. This campaign is aimed at motorists in overseas departments and territories, as airbags are particularly affected by hot and humid weather.
Since 2016, at least 15 people have died due to their car airbag in France, 14 of them abroad. according to an investigation by Radio France’s research unit.
Several campaigns have already been launched, including that of Citroën, which has attracted much criticism. The Ministry of Transport lists a total of almost twenty vehicle brands affected by these different recall campaigns, including Audi, Mercedes, Opel and Volkswagen. Each manufacturer’s campaign is listed on this site with the procedure for owners to follow.
100% support
To know if your vehicle is affected, you must have the vehicle identification number (VIN). This unique 17-character number can be found on the registration document, next to the letter E, on the driver’s side dashboard, as well as in the maintenance/warranty booklet or on the manufacturer’s plate on the windshield.
Then you have to go to the car manufacturer’s website, which offers a specific platform. By entering the VIN, the driver knows the status of his vehicle. If it is the latter, “immediately contact a brand workshop/workshop to plan the repair of your vehicle,” the information campaign underlines.
The intervention and replacement of the airbags is 100% covered by the manufacturer. It is also recommended to respect their recommendations.
A decade of reminders
“If your vehicle is the subject of a stop drive request from the manufacturer, please contact the manufacturer of your vehicle or a workshop/workshop of the brand to find an appropriate solution,” it is notified to avoid using your vehicle. to get to the repair. Alternative mobility solutions can be offered. But this is at the discretion of the different manufacturers.
If withdrawal is “essential”, it is not mandatory. “In the event of non-replacement, you run a risk to your safety, that of your passengers and that of other road users,” the information campaign maintains.
The defect in these airbags has been known for more than ten years. Many states, including China, Korea, Japan and Australia, have imposed recall measures on manufacturers. The latter have also implemented certain measures, some of them quite drastic, such as the “stop drive” at Citroën, a letter sent to affected drivers asking them to immediately stop driving their vehicle.
Source: BFM TV
