When companies feel that their products do not fit the standards of safety and quality they have built for themselves over time, they recall their products. It is no different in the case of vehicles, where the safety of drivers and passengers is of paramount importance, and you cannot make even the smallest compromise when it comes to safety. Small malfunctions and misalignments can prove devastating for everyone involved.

In recent years, there has been news of product recalls related to the automotive industry. One such case is the Takata airbag recall scandal. It is very important to understand the dangers of these defective airbags as well as your legal options in case of an airbag recall by a manufacturing company.

The Takata Airbag Recall

Takata is a Japanese automotive manufacturer that recently faced a recall of airbags on an unprecedented scale. The company recalled over 30 million airbags in a bid to take the defective airbags off the market. It proved to be one of the largest cases of its kind in the history of the United States. It means that 15 percent of the total number of vehicles in the United States was recalled because of safety concerns.

The safety concerns and subsequent recall of the defective airbags stemmed from one chemical compound used in the Takata airbags. An explosive chemical, Ammonium Nitrate, which they used in their airbags, was found to be a significant safety hazard, especially on warm days. It led to the widespread recall of the airbags based on the outcry regarding the safety violation.

It is easy to understand why this recall was necessary. Airbags are the most crucial part of the safety profile of a vehicle and are proven to save lives in thousands of catastrophic accidents around the globe. The safety standards of the airbags should be a high priority for all car manufacturers because of their crucial role in ensuring the survival of individuals in case of road traffic accidents.

What Can You Do? 

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) provides a portal where you can search for your car and whether or not it is one of the many vehicles scheduled for a recall. Millions of different vehicles over nine years and over fifteen major car manufacturers in the United States are affected by the recall.

If you discover your car to be a part of this list, you can seek legal recourse. It is well within your rights to get in touch with and hire an experienced attorney who can guide you through the process. You are entitled to a free repair by the company, and barring that, you can file an official complaint with NHTSA or a lawsuit in case the company denies you a free repair or replacement.

In cases like this, there are usually three options available to the manufacturer. They can either repair the product, replace it, or refund the customer after deductions. On a large scale such as this recall, there is usually a class-action lawsuit, of which you can become a part.