Approximately 30.4 million vehicles, more than 65 percent, with recalled Takata airbags have not been repaired, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The recall began in 2015. While many auto owners were sent recall notices, they were told no replacement airbags were available at the time. In an effected vehicle, there is a 50 percent chance the airbags could cause serious injury or death if they went off.
“It’s been two years since the first nationwide recall and we still can’t get these potentially deadly vehicles repaired fast enough,” U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) said. “We’ve got to pick up the pace on boosting production of replacement inflators and assisting consumers who need to get their vehicles fixed.”
There have been 180 injuries and 16 deaths blamed on Takata’s airbags worldwide. The airbags, containing ammonium nitrate, explode with too much force, blasting out shrapnel. Humidity and heat are thought to be contributing factors.
In Florida alone, 1.5 million vehicles have not been repaired.
Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, partially blames the slowness of repairs on the Trump Administration. No nominee has been named to head the NHTSA since President Donald Trump took office.
The NHTSA needs someone committed to fixing the airbag problem, Nelson said.