Airbag recalls are affecting 1.5 million vehicles in Canada

Last week, American auto safety regulators announced the biggest consumer-product recall in history — and now it’s affecting Canadians.

Nearly 34 million vehicles will need replacing after it was discovered that Japanese auto-part company Takata Corp. is using malfunctioning airbags that have the potential to explode. The company’s airbags are found in manufacturers such as Honda, BMW, Chryslers and Ford. The fault in the airbags have so far been linked to at least six deaths and 139 injuries.

“Transport Canada has not received any complaints from Canadians or manufacturers alleging abnormal deployment of Takata airbags and is not aware of any incidents in Canada,” said a Transport Canada spokesperson in an email to Vancity Buzz.

Last week, Transport Canada had said it has no plans to follow suit with the American recall. Though on May 28 announced it would be taking action against the dysfunctional airbags.

Transport Canada is recalling 1.5 million vehicles, and have a database of all the affected models on their website. To check the status of your recalled vehicle, check the auto manufacturer’s website for updates using your 17-digit vehicle identification number. Most of the models range between the years of 2001 and 2011. Honda is currently the most affected, totaling with 704,770 vehicles to be recalled.

“Under these new recalls, dealers will replace Takata airbag inflators,” said the Transport Canada spokesperson.

In Canada, vehicle manufacturers are the ones responsible for the recalls, not part suppliers like Takata.

The airbags made by Takata are reported to explode upon a crash, spraying fragments of metal towards the passengers. Reports suggest that Takata knew of these flaws since 2004, but failed to issue a recall.