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On December 21, 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Independent Takata Monitor issued a progress report on Takata air bag recalls.

“Communicating the urgency for recall repairs with the help of stakeholders and Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) is proving effective to protecting lives on our nation’s roadways,” said Deputy Administrator Heidi R. King.

In 2018, the average recall repair rates for all manufacturers increased by 30 percent. In just one year, the number of unrepaired vehicles in the oldest vehicles in the highest risk areas has been cut in half.

NHTSA says that nearly 37 million vehicles equipped with 50 million defective Takata air bags are under recall because the air bags can explode when deployed, causing serious injury or even death. Highlights of the NHTSA report include the following:

• Repair rates for recalled do-not-drive 2006 Ford Rangers increased from 6 percent in January 2018 to 82 percent in October 2018 – an increase of 76 percent over the course of 10 months. In recalled high-risk model years 2001-2003, Honda vehicles reached a repair rate of 96 percent.
• Unrepaired vehicles in Priority Groups 1-3 (the oldest vehicles in the highest-risk areas) has been cut in half in one year. There are 12 manufacturers with vehicles in these priority groups: BMW, Daimler Vans, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Ford, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota. At the request of Ms. King, each manufacturer should publically post their plans for replacing all defective air bags in their vehicles.
• Many state DMVs supported outreach efforts through participation in letter-mailing campaigns, helping to double, and in certain instances triple, repair rates for high-risk vehicles in Florida, Louisiana, New York and Virginia. Additionally, Maryland launched a NHTSA-funded pilot project to notify vehicle owners of outstanding recalls in registration renewal notices.
• Door-to-door “Find-and-Fix” canvassing in 2018 confirmed concerns with the accuracy of owner data.

“The Takata air bag recall is significant, and we at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. are glad to see some progress being made. Everyone needs to know whether their vehicle has been affected and to get any problem fixed. For more information, NHTSA urges owners to use its Recall Lookup Tool to check their vehicle identification numbers (VIN) for any open recalls,” said Fort Myers Car Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey.

“If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please contact us. We have the expertise to assist you,” said Mr. Spivey.

Fort Myers Car Accident Attorney,Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.