Honda and Mitsubishi have offered to buy back 42,000 vehicles affected by the latest Takata airbag recall.

In a statement released by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), select Honda and Mitsubishi vehicles manufactured between 1996 and 2000 are being recalled as they may be installed with the ‘potentially deadly’ Takata NADI 5-AT airbag.

This brings the number of vehicles in Australia recalled due to the defective NADI 5-AT airbag to 78,000, after 18,000 Toyota, Mazda and Suzuki vehicles were recalled last week.

Affected vehicles include the MY1998-2000 Honda Accord, CR-V and Legend and Mitsubishi Express, Lancer, Mirage, Pajero and Starwagon models built between 1997 and 2000.

The NADI 5-AT airbags have been found to potentially mis-deploy and explode in the event of an accident, causing metal fragments to be fired through the car’s interior.

Honda and Mitsubishi have both offered to buy back all affected vehicles at market value. Affected owners will be provided with alternative means of transport while buy back arrangements are finalized.

ACCC Chair Rod Sims said all owners of affected vehicles should contact their manufacturer immediately and cease driving their vehicle.

“Consumers should respond immediately when contacted by their manufacturer. Sometimes manufacturers will not have the latest contact information for the owners of these cars so people who suspect their cars are affected should contact the manufacturer themselves,” said Mr Sims.

To check if your vehicle has been affected by this recall, visit the Product Safety Australia website, or alternatively contact your manufacturer.

The latest Takata recall comes as the Victorian Government prepare to take the matter of pulling faulty vehicles off the road into their own hands.

More than 400 registered vehicles are still on the road in Victoria despite numerous pleas to have the faulty airbags replaced free of charge.

VicRoads will soon begin the process of contacting owners of the 400-plus vehicles and asking them to take their vehicles to their preferred dealer for replacement airbags, or risk having the vehicles registration suspended.

“We don’t want to suspend or cancel anybody’s registration, but we will do whatever is necessary to get these potentially deadly airbags off our roads,” said Jaala Pulford, Road Safety an TAC Minister.

Owners of affected vehicles will receive one final notice warning them that this is their last chance to act.

Original source: Mirage News | Honda and Mitsubishi recall 42,000 cars due to serious airbag safety risk

21 Jan 2020