Further recalls of cars with faulty airbags

The latest vehicle recall by car manufacturer Toyota is another blow for the company that produced the faulty airbags that have been installed in several makes of cars all over the world. Essex motorists may be aware of the well-publicised stories concerning the defective airbags produced by the Japanese manufacturer Takata. In some cases, when they are triggered, the devices have inflated too fast and ejected broken pieces of metal into the interior of the vehicle.

Since 2013, Toyota has recalled almost 15 million vehicles in connection with the defective airbags, and the latest announcement will affect a further 1.6 million units. More than 19 million vehicles of various makes and models in the U.S. have been recalled so far, and Takata is expected to pay fines as high as $200 million. The company has announced that its forecast for the year will be severely reduced following the ongoing recall programmes and the negotiations with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall by Toyota is targeted at vehicles that were sold in countries such as England, Italy, Spain and Japan during the two years between 2014 and 2015. Over twenty different models of car have been named, including the popular Corolla and Vitz. The announcement came soon after a person in a Nissan was injured in an airbag related incident. Toyota, Nissan and other car manufacturers such as Ford and Honda have said that they will not be using the Takata product for the vehicles they are currently designing.

A person who has been injured by a product that the manufacturer knew, or should have known, was faulty may have grounds to seek compensation. A solicitor familiar with personal injury cases resulting from defective products may advise a client if a manufacturer has been negligent and offer legal guidance on the process of putting a claim forward.