10 years after a nationwide recall of Takata airbags, more than six million vehicles with the dangerous devices remain on the road, according to new data.
A new report from Carfax shows Illinois is among the states with thousands of recalled airbags that have yet to be replaced.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the airbags can explode when deployed. The agency said 27 people in the United States have been killed, with at least 400 others sustaining injuries.
At least 19 different manufacturers were impacted when upwards of 67 million Takata airbags in more than 40 million vehicles were recalled.
According to Carfax, there are still 167,000 Takata airbags in Illinois vehicles today.
The large amount of vehicles still equipped with the dangerous airbags today may be due to drivers missing the recall notice or mistaking it for junk mail, according to Carfax Editor-in-Chief Patrick Olsen.
“Any consumer who is curious if their car has an unfixed recall can go to Carfax.com/recall. Put in your VIN or your license plate information and it will tell you for free whether there is an unfixed recall on your car,” Olsen told NBC 5 Responds.
NBC 5 Responds
Car dealerships are required to fix any vehicle with an open safety recall at no charge to the owner. If they refuse, you should contact your automaker for instructions, or file a complaint with the NHTSA.
To see if your vehicle contains a recalled Takata airbag, visit Carfax’s website.
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