DETROIT — Another death has been linked to dangerous Takata airbags by US regulators, the 28th in the US.
The driver was killed in 2018 in Alabama in a Honda vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said, but did not provide further details. It says the death underscores the need for people to replace recalled airbags.
Takata is used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate airbags in a crash. But the chemical can degrade over time due to high heat and humidity and explode with too much force. It can blow apart a metal capsule and send shrapnel into the passenger compartment. More than 400 people in the United States have been injured.
Worldwide, at least 36 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the United States
Honda said in a statement that the Alabama fatality occurred in Etowah County and involved a 2004 Honda Civic. It involved a high-speed crash that complicated efforts to definitively determine the cause of death.
Honda, the company that used more Takata airbags in its cars than any other automaker, said it has replaced or accounted for 95% of the recalled air pumps in its vehicles.
“Honda continues to urge owners of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by the Takata air bag recall to have their vehicles repaired at an authorized dealer as soon as possible,” the company’s statement said.
Honda and Acura owners can check their recalls at www.recalls.honda.com and www.recalls.acura.com. Owners can also go to nhtsa.com/recalls and key in their vehicle or registration number.
The potential for a dangerous defect led to the largest series of auto recalls in US history, involving at least 67 million Takata pumps. The US government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding airbags sent Takata in bankruptcy.