NHTSA recall 16E006000 · Equipment
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
The defect
Takata Corporation (Takata) is recalling certain SDI driver-side air bag inflators manufactured from start of production (January 1, 2002) through production impacting up through model year 2014 vehicles, and assembled as part of the driver-side frontal air bag modules in certain Audi, Ford, Mazda, Sprinter and Volkswagen vehicles. These inflators, used as original or replacement equipment during service, may rupture from exposure to persistent conditions of high absolute humidity and/or due to manufacturing variability.
The risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
Takata will be working with vehicle manufacturers to identify into which vehicles the affected inflators were installed either as original or replacement equipment during service. As this work progresses, numerous vehicle recalls will likely be announced by the impacted vehicle manufacturers. NHTSA will supply this information as soon as possible. NOTE: Ford has already launched a recall campaign to remedy their affected vehicles under recall number 16V-036.