Air Bag Recall Called 'Largest in U.S. History'

The Department of Transportation has issued a recall notice for 35 million to 40 million faulty air bag inflators made by Japan's Takata Corp., an auto-parts supplier.

28.8 million Takata inflators have already been recalled. In all, NPR says this massive action will add up to the largest safety recall in U.S. history.

The component that is responsible for rapidly inflating the airbag in the event of an emergency has a tendency to rupture. Those ruptures have been reportedly responsible for 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries in the U.S.

Vehicle owners are urged to check SaferCar.gov to find out if their specific vehicle make and model has one of these defective airbags. On that website, owners also can find out what to do to have safety problems fixed free of charge. The specific car and truck models included in the latest Takata recall were not immediately released.

“Today’s action is a significant step in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s aggressive oversight of Takata on behalf of drivers and passengers across America,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a release. “The acceleration of this recall is based on scientific evidence and will protect all Americans from air bag inflators that may become unsafe.”

If you have a vehicle from this list below, you might need to have your airbag replaced. Use this vehicle recall tool to see if yours has a recall out on it.

• Acura
• Audi
• BMW
• Chevrolet
• Chrysler
• Daimler Trucks North America (Sterling Bullet)
• Daimler Vans USA LLC (Sprinter)
• Dodge/Ram
• Ford
• GMC
• Honda
• Infiniti
• Mazda
• Mercedes-Benz
• Mitsubishi
• Nissan
• Pontiac
• Saab
• Saturn
• Subaru
• Toyota
• Volkswagen (VW)

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