Peterborough, Ontario — June 5, 2017 — The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) has recently released a statement regarding the recent spate of media coverage concerning defective Takata airbags.
A number of news outlets have aired reports regarding the reuse of non-deployed original equipment manufacturer (OEM) airbags.
ARA would like to address the misrepresentations about the utilization of recycled, non-deployed OEM airbags contained in these newscasts as well as highlight aspects of the issue that have been ignored by the media.
Takata invented an airbag inflator technology that reportedly gave it a cost advantage over its competitors in the airbag market, but the company’s own labs found that the airbag propellant could go off accidentally in hot, high-humidity conditions, turning the inflator into “shrapnel.”
It is also important to note that the US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation and stated that four auto manufacturers knew of the defect “for years.” Lawyers for the victims filed a civil suit in Florida in February 2017 stating that emails and internal documents from four manufacturers indicate “that cost considerations influenced automakers’ decision to adopt Takata’s airbags in the early 2000s despite safety concerns.”
It is important for consumers to procure used vehicles and replacement parts from reputable businesses licensed in their state of operation. Professional automotive recycling businesses are aware of the dangers of defective Takata airbags and the federal requirement prohibiting the sale of non-remedied recalled automotive parts.
ARA strongly supports the reuse of non-deployed OEM airbags, which have met industry standards, and believes that those evaluated, recycled airbag components are a safe, economically smart repair option to restore vehicles to their pre-accident condition. Research and years of experience have proven replacement airbags to be a safe option, according to a statement from ARA.
