Toyota Recalls 1.4 Million Cars because of Exploding Autoliv Airbags
For the last two years, all of the focus has been on Takata, a Japanese manufacturer whose defective airbags have been implicated in the deaths of at least 14 people, and in the injuries of at least 139 others. Honda has also been implicated in some lawsuits.
Not to be outdone, Toyota has recalled more than 1.4 million Lexus and Prius models because of defective airbags made by Autoliv, a Swedish-American auto parts manufacturer. The New York Times reports that though no injuries have yet been reported, “there have been incidents in which the Autoliv bags deployed spontaneously in parked vehicles, sending metal pieces of the inflater into the cars’ cabins.” As of now, Autoliv claims that the “substandard welds on inflaters made by a subcontractor” were to blame.
Autoliv self-identified that their airbags were the ones exploding, even though Toyota did not originally name the company when it announced its recall. There are four other auto manufacturers which used Autoliv airbags; no recall has been forthcoming from them.
The problem with these airbags
Autoliv’s airbag defects seem eerily similar to those of Takata’s; both involve manufacturing problems (and potential design issues, too), and both seem to correlate to higher temperatures. Unlike Takata’s airbags, however, that use ammonium nitrate for the propellant, Autoliv uses something else. Their problem, it appears, is that the gas in the inflaters can overpressure and cause the inflater to break in two.
Another major difference is that so far, the Autoliv airbags have only exploded when the car was in park (as opposed to when there was an accident which prompted the airbag to deploy), and 6 out of 7 times, “the broken parts of the inflater had stayed put or had simply dropped out.” Furthermore, Autoliv was unaware that there was a problem (or so they have said), whereas there is documented proof that both Takata and Honda were aware that their airbags had a defect.
What you can do
If you drive a Prius or a Lexus CT200h manufactured between 2010-2012, your car may be on the recall list. It is safe to assume that, as is almost always the case, Toyota will replace the defective airbag for free. You should check Recalls.gov for your VIN number in the coming weeks, as more automakers may come forward if they used Autoliv between 2010 and 2012 in their cars.
If you were injured in an auto accident in Maryland because of a defective auto part, Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. may be able to help you. For more than 35 years, we have been one of Maryland’s premier personal injury law firms. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced Baltimore auto accident attorney, please call 410-730-7737, or use our contact form.
Bruce Plaxen was honored as the 2009 Maryland Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Maryland Association for Justice, and assists victims of personal injury, car accidents and medical malpractice throughout the state. For more information on his legal background, please visit his attorney bio.