NHTSA releases updated Takata airbag recalled cars list, but it still has errors

Unfortunately, the government's list still contains errors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an updated list of vehicle models that it's urging owners to repair under the mushrooming Takata airbag inflator recall. The latest version adds vehicles from new automakers like Subaru and Ford that are missing from the original announcement, and it also removes erroneous entries from General Motors, leaving only the 2005 Saab 9-2X (a reskinned Subaru WRX), and the 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe, a joint project with Toyota.

According to a statement sent to Autoblog by GM, the inaccurate entries on the earlier version came because, "The original NHTSA advisory incorrectly listed a group of 2002-2003 GM models that were part of a 2002 recall involving airbags made by other suppliers."

This campaign has been spurred by recent discoveries from Takata about the risks from these inflators. It's possible for the airbags to rupture in a crash and spray shrapnel at occupants. The problem is known to have caused serious injuries and several deaths, and the likelihood of a malfunction has been determined to be especially likely in high humidity areas.

The recalls related to the faulty parts go back to at least 2001, and most of the vehicles on the latest list are also among the same ones from a campaign in June. Since this isn't a new recall and NHTSA is simply urging people to take action, it's possible some of these models might already be repaired.

NHTSA appears to be having serious problems with the stress the Takata airbag issue is putting on its consumer website. According to The Detroit News, the agency's VIN lookup service is down, and its daily listing of new recalls is also not working as of this writing.

Unfortunately, the government's list still contains errors.
In regards to the Nissan entry on the latest list, the company is on there twice for some reason. Nissan spokesperson Steve Yaeger advises Autoblog that the 694,626-unit figure is correct, but some of the model years are incorrect. The Sentra should also include some 2004-2006 models in high-humidity regions, and the same goes for the 2006 Infiniti M35/45.

The entry for Chrysler may also be incorrect, notes the Auburn Hills automaker. According to a statement sent to Autoblog by Chrysler Group, "Currently there is insufficient data to support a defect finding in Chrysler Group vehicles," but it's investigating with NHTSA. The full statement is below.

Autoblog also spoke with BMW spokesperson Julian Arguelles, who maintains that the the entry for the German brand is 11,000 units too high because the company is replacing the driver and passenger inflators on some models. NHTSA's list double counts them.

Based on the latest estimates from NHTSA, there are around 7.77 million vehicles that could need repairs, with over five million of them coming from Honda alone. Scroll down to read the latest list, and the full statement from GM and Chrysler Group.

Show full PR text Consumer Advisory: Vehicle Owners with Defective Airbags Urged to Take Immediate Action

Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Contact: Karen Aldana, 202-366-9550, [email protected]
(Note: Corrects vehicle list provided with advisory of October 20)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges owners of certain Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors vehicles to act immediately on recall notices to replace defective Takata airbags. Over seven million vehicles are involved in these recalls, which have occurred as far back as 18 months ago and as recently as Monday. The message comes with urgency, especially for owners of vehicles affected by regional recalls in the following areas: Florida, Puerto Rico, limited areas near the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana, as well as Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii.

"Responding to these recalls, whether old or new, is essential to personal safety and it will help aid our ongoing investigation into Takata airbags and what appears to be a problem related to extended exposure to consistently high humidity and temperatures. However, we're leaving no stone unturned in our aggressive pursuit to track down the full geographic scope of this issue," said NHTSA Deputy Administrator David Friedman.

Consumers that are uncertain whether their vehicle is impacted by the Takata recalls, or any other recall, can contact their manufacturer's website to search, by their vehicle identification number (VIN) to confirm whether their individual vehicle has an open recall that needs to be addressed. Owners that have been contacted by their manufacturer should contact their dealer's service department and make arrangements for the repair. In addition, consumers can sign up for NHTSA recall alerts, which go out before recall letters are mailed by the manufacturers to the affected owners.

7.8 Million Affected U.S. Vehicles, by Manufacturer, Impacted by CY 2013 and 2014 Recalls Involving Takata Airbags

Note: The list below corrects the list that accompanied our October 20 advisory, which incorrectly included certain vehicles. The numbers cited for potentially affected vehicles below are subject to change and adjustment because there may be cases of vehicles being counted more than once. Owners should check their VIN periodically as manufacturers continue to add VINs to the database. Once owner recall notices are available, owners can retrieve a copy from SaferCar.gov, or will receive one by U.S. mail and are advised to carefully follow the enclosed instructions.

BMW: 627,615 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sedan
2000 – 2006 3 Series Coupe
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon
2000 – 2006 3 Series Convertible
2001 – 2006 M3 Coupe
2001 – 2006 M3 Convertible

Chrysler: 371,309 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2008 Dodge Ram 1500
2005 – 2008 Dodge Ram 2500
2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 3500
2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 4500
2008 – Dodge Ram 5500
2005 – 2008 Dodge Durango
2005 – 2008 Dodge Dakota
2005 – 2008 Chrysler 300
2007 – 2008 Chrysler Aspen

Ford: 58,669 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 – Ranger
2005 – 2006 GT
2005 – 2007 Mustang

General Motors: undetermined total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Pontiac Vibe
2005 – Saab 9-2X

Honda: 5,051,364 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2007 Honda Accord)
2001 – 2002 Honda Accord
2001 – 2005 Honda Civic
2002 – 2006 Honda CR-V
2003 – 2011 Honda Element
2002 – 2004 Honda Odyssey
2003 – 2007 Honda Pilot
2006 – Honda Ridgeline
2003 – 2006 Acura MDX
2002 – 2003 Acura TL/CL
2005 – Acura RL

Nissan: 694,626 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2003 Nissan Maxima
2001 – 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
2002 – 2003 Nissan Sentra
2001 – 2003 Infiniti I30/I35
2002 – 2003 Infiniti QX4
2003 – Infiniti FX

Mazda: 64,872 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2007 Mazda6
2006 – 2007 MazdaSpeed6
2004 – 2008 Mazda RX-8
2004 – 2005 MPV
2004 – B-Series Truck

Mitsubishi: 11,985 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 – 2005 Lancer
2006 – 2007 Raider

Nissan: 694,626 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2003 Nissan Maxima
2001 – 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
2002 – 2004 Nissan Sentra
2001 – 2004 Infiniti I30/I35
2002 – 2003 Infiniti QX4
2003 – 2005 Infiniti FX35/FX45

Subaru: 17,516 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Baja
2003 – 2005 Legacy
2003 – 2005 Outback
2003 – 2005 Baja
2004 – 2005 Impreza

Toyota: 877,000 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2002 – 2005 Lexus SC
2002 – 2005 Toyota Corolla
2003 – 2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix
2002 – 2005 Toyota Sequoia
2003 – 2005 Toyota Tundra


GM Statement

We are customizing Toyota's customer letters and will send overnight letters to certain owners of 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibes in the high humidity areas that NHTSA has identified as being susceptible to the defective Takata air bag inflators. This includes 9,940 Vibes but we are still working the numbers based on additional areas that Toyota identified in its expanded recall on Monday.

Separately, NHTSA has corrected its advisory from Monday to show only the Vibes built in the former GM-Toyota joint venture and Saab 9-2X models built by Subaru for Saab are GM vehicles with Takata air bags. The original NHTSA advisory incorrectly listed a group of 2002-2003 GM models that were part of a 2002 recall involving air bags made by other suppliers.

Chrysler Statement

In conjunction with our supplier partner and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Chrysler Group continues to investigate the performance of certain airbag inflators. The supplier produces several models and currently there is insufficient data to support a defect finding in Chrysler Group vehicles. Notwithstanding, the Company has acceded to a NHTSA request and is launching a regional field action. This undertaking is progressing and affected customers will be notified when they may schedule service. Source