Report: Takata Airbag Recall Could Reach 20 Million

That pointed statement from Senator Dean Heller seemed to sum up the tone of the Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Takata. Hiroshi Shimizu, one of the vice President’s of Takata, experienced seemingly dissatisfied members of congress who demanded answers for the problems that Takata airbags have reportedly caused. When asked by Senator Heller if Takata took full responsibly for the airbag problems, Shimizu continually consulted with his interpreter and seemed uneasy. We reported previously that Takata airbags have been directly linked to a confirmed 5 deaths, including 4 in the United States. The problems associated with Takata airbags have been more prevalent in humid climates of the U.S., however there was a surprise for both Takata and the NHTSA leading up to the hearing. In a scheduled news conference, family members of a woman killed in an auto accident in Arizona spoke out against Takata airbags. Senators Ed Markey (D) MA and Richard Blumenthal (D) CT facilitated the news conference. After the sister of the woman killed in Arizona spoke, Senator Markey went on the offensive. He said, referring to Takata airbags, “A company makes a bad product, an industry then uses that product and when our safety watchdogs miss the problem, tragedy is the result.”

The hearing included testimony from Rick Schostek, the Vice President of Honda North America. Schostek had this to say about the Takata airbag crisis, “We understand the urgency of the current situation and are taking proactive steps to encourage Honda and Acura owners to get their vehicles repaired at an authorized dealership.” According to the WSJ, up to 5 million Honda vehicles may be subject to airbag recall. Also giving testimony was David Friedman, Acting Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In his congressional testimony, Friedman deferred blame for the lack of airbag recalls to Takata. “Until they step up for the American public, my hands are tied, frankly, to help people understand who is at risk,” Friedman said. He further explained, “We know that Takata hasn’t always provided the automobile industry with accurate information.”

For dealers keeping an eye of the Takata airbag situation, it appears the numbers of recalled vehicles will only increase. Reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that the 20 million vehicles could eventually be subject to recall. That figure would mean another 12 million vehicles on top of the nearly 8 million currently subject to recall. How would your store deal with such a large-scale recall? What are you saying to customers who want to know if the recall impacts the used auto that they’re interested in?