Takata Recalls 33.8 Million Airbags, Largest Consumer Recall in U.S. History

We told you previously Takata airbags had issued a southeastern U.S. recall due to exploding airbag inflators. Takata has previously resisted pressure to expand their recall nationally, however, it appears they are changing their tune.

Takata announced today they are recalling 33.8 million vehicles for potentially defective airbags. This is believed to be the largest product recall in U.S. history.To be clear, this does not mean that 33.8 million more vehicles have been recalled, it means that the total number of Tataka airbag recalls in the USA has risen to  a combined 33.8 million The previous recall total for the United States was around 17 million. Specifically, this recall involves expanding the current recall effort to include 16 million passenger-side inflators and 17 million driver-side airbag inflators.

The recall effort will be coordinated by the NHTSA. In a press release from the Department of Transportation, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “Today is a major step forward for public safety. The Department of Transportation is taking the proactive steps necessary to ensure that defective inflators are replaced with safe ones as quickly as possible, and that the highest risks are addressed first. We will not stop our work until every air bag is replaced.”

The NHTSA has issued a consent order to Takata and the organization must comply with measures on the part of the NHTSA and accept their regulatory measures. The DOT press release indicates that vehicles are likely going to be serviced based on risk. The risk factors in this case are the age and geographic location of the vehicle. The question is, how could this impact dealers? With 34 million recalls nationwide and a lot of media attention, what is your store doing to prepare for an influx of consumers seeking recall repairs? Do you see this recall notice as a positive indicator of more traffic to your store or an annoyance to potentially have your service center backed up from preforming other repair services?