U.S. Companies Affected by Vehicle Recall: Honda, Fiat Chrysler and Mazda

Continental Automotive Systems, a German company, recently issued a recall of cars containing Continental airbag units after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicated that the airbags were potentially defective and could cause car accidents.

Honda:

One of the U.S. companies affected by the recall is Honda Motor Co. The car manufacturer is recalling 341,000 Accord models made between 2008 and 2010 so that the vehicles’ air bag control units can be replaced. However, Honda indicated that the company will not be able to replace airbags on all units because there are not enough replacement parts available at this time. As a result, Honda will only be providing replacement parts for Accord vehicles that have sustained crash damage or that have specific airbag-related issues.

So far, Honda has received 1,575 warranty claims related to the defective airbags, as well as confirmation of two injuries in connection with the airbag defect. Although the total number of confirmed injuries is low, Honda is currently investigating reports of an additional 74 injuries related to the airbag control units. One reported injury involves a young driver from Belleview, Florida who was driving a 2008 Accord when he hit a concrete block wall while traveling at 50 mph. The driver’s injuries were allegedly exacerbated because the vehicle’s airbag did not deploy in the crash.

Fiat Chrysler:

Fiat Chrysler has issued a recall of 112,000 vehicles that had Continental airbag units installed. The recalled models include the 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, the 2008-2009 Dodge Chrysler Town, the 2009 Dodge Journey and the 2009 Volkswagen Routan. (The Volkswagen vehicle was manufactured in the U.S. by Fiat Chrysler for the German car company.)

At this time, the injury data related to defective airbags in Fiat Chrysler is inconclusive. Fiat Chrysler did indicate that it has received 25 reports of the airbags inadvertently deploying.

Mazda:

Mazda Motor Corp. is also involved with the product recall. According to officials with Mazda, the company is aware of the recall and is currently investigating the situation to determine how many of its vehicles have been affected by the defective air bag units.

For additional information about the defective air bag unit recall, view the Reuters.com article, “Continental Says Five Million Vehicles Worldwide May Have Faulty Air Bags.”

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries due to a defective product, you should speak to a skilled product liability lawyer immediately. The NJ personal injury and product liability attorneys at Drazin and Warshaw, P.C. have more than 70 years of combined experience with these types of cases and will fight to get you full and fair compensation for your injuries. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation about your case.