Compulsory Takata Airbag Safety Recall

A compulsory safety recall is currently underway for all vehicles fitted with the potentially faulty and deadly Takata airbags. The recall will affect approximately 2.3 million Australian cars.

Vehicle manufacturers, dealers and other suppliers will need to ensure that vehicles fitted with the Takata airbags are located and replaced as soon as possible.

What is the fault with the airbag?

Modern vehicles equipped with an airbag have an inflator device contained within the airbag assembly. It contains a solid propellant which is ignited in the event that airbag deployment is necessary. When ignited, the solid propellant expands into an inert gas, inflating the airbag.

The propellant in inflators in the Takata airbags subject to the recall may degrade after prolonged exposure to high humidity and fluctuating high temperatures. Degraded propellant can cause the inflator to rupture during airbag deployment. If affected, in the event of deployment during a collision, the inner pressure of the inflator assembly could increase abnormally and the inflator could rupture, increasing the risk of injury or death to the occupants.

What do I need to do?

1. Check if your vehicle has an alpha airbag

If your vehicle is fitted with an alpha airbag, you should urgently contact your vehicle manufacturer to have the airbag replaced immediately. Alpha airbags are a high risk subset of the Takata bags being recalled.

It is critical that you take immediate action to have your airbags replaced due to significant risk of injury or death involved in vehicles with these airbags.

2. Check to see if your vehicle is under active recall

If your vehicle is listed on the active recall list, you should arrange to have your airbag replaced now. Contact your manufacturer as soon as possible to arrange an appointment.

Your vehicle identification number (VIN), is a unique 17 character serial number found on your vehicle or your registration certificate.

3. Check if your vehicle is under future recall

If your vehicle is not listed on the active recall list, it is important to check to see if your vehicle is listed on the future recall list. These vehicles are subject to future recalls by their manufacturers.

You will need to ensure that your manufacturer has your current details, so they may contact you when it is time to replace your airbag.

Who do I contact for assistance or information?

If your vehicle is fully managed by Fleetcare, we will be in touch as soon as information is received from the manufacturers.

Calls can be directed to vehicle manufacturers as the recall requires manufacturers to have a dedicated team to answer any questions or complaints about the recall.

We also suggest subscribing to the ACC newsletter to receive updates about current and future recalls.