Automakers Considering Airbag Replacement To Part Of Normal Maintenance

Takata Corp.’s airbag crisis could spur changes to how car owners maintain their vehicles, with Japan’s automakers discussing whether drivers should regularly replace the chemicals used to inflate the safety devices.

Drivers may need to start having chemicals in their airbags swapped out because of degradation over time, said Fumihiko Ike, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and Honda Motor Co. The discussions among carmakers follow recalls of about 21 million vehicles and five deaths linked to the devices made by Takata since 2008.

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Vette71 - 12/18/2014 2:14:15 PM

+1 Boost

Pretty expensive maintenance on all those vehicles where the air bags are hidden behind the dash, seat covers, headliner etc. with no seams showing. For the dash ones the whole dash needs to be taken out to get at them. Lots of labor. Interesting to see how this is resolved.

MDarringer - 12/18/2014 5:32:12 PM

-1 Boost

The airbags should have a 10 year warranty and after that the customer should not have to replace them.

MDarringer - 12/18/2014 10:31:09 PM

0 Boost

After 10 years, if people die, they die. There needs to be a moratorium on defect witch hunts. I say 10 years and all lawsuits are invalid. Harsh, yes, but I'm tired of #Liberal seeking to butt r@pe "big businesses".

if the Takata air bags are 10+ years old then why should we care about clunkers?

Oh the humanity of the poor!

Color me jaded.

joescuba - 12/19/2014 3:39:57 PM

+1 Boost

That will bring down the value of a used car. Manufacturers should be responsible for faulty design not the owner of the cars