Cars with Takata airbags but not yet subject to recall??

October 29, 2014 9:27 AM

Takata has recalled cars in states that it deems "high humidity," because of the deadly airbag problem. But as often noted, most of the deaths involved were in non-listed states. My state, Tennessee, is just outside the designated area, and my car (old Honda Accord) is one of the troublemakers.

So it is not reassuring for me to hear that my car is not being recalled - presumably none of the cars here in Tennessee are. I called the Honda dealer here to ask, recall aside, whether my car has a Takata airbag. The service manager took my VIN number and said "it's not on my recall list [!!], but you can bring it in and for $104 dollars, have the airbag taken out." This was not the information I was hoping for: is there any way to find this out? Government and manufacturer online tools are not relevant, as their lists are limited to the recall.

posted by mmiddle to Grab Bag (5 answers total)

Another part of the problem is that because these bags were made so long ago, there aren't any in stock anywhere, and even the manufacturing equipment is no longer around. I heard that here at NPR.

So even if there were a recall, it's unlikely they'd be able to fulfill the parts requests any time soon.

I would think very seriously about paying that $104 if you have the concern.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:32 AM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]

I could definitely be wrong, but it was not my impression that they were only recalling cars in those specific states. I thought it was just that people in the "high humidity states" were at the most risk so the recall has specifically emphasized that car owners in those states should get this done right away.

What year is your Accord? This a listing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of affected cars including specific makes and models. Here is a related article from consumer reports.

In case you change your mind about not wanting to bother with the online tools, you can do the VIN search yourself here or here. You might also find it helpful to try calling the customer service number on that page. Maybe someone at the main Honda office will be more helpful than the local dealer was. I would definitely try to get a clear answer from Honda customer service about whether only cars from specific states are being recalled.
posted by litera scripta manet at 10:08 AM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: There is this info from here :

If your car is on the recall list, or it’s not and you’re freaked out anyway (understandable, airbags are acting like shotguns), you can call NHTSA’s safety hotline [phone]) or use your car’s VIN to see if you’re affected by this or any other reported problem.

The recall isn't geographically based - it is a nationwide recall.

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges owners of certain Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors vehicles to act immediately on recall notices to replace defective Takata airbags," the agency said in a statement Tuesday, adding there should be particular urgency in areas of high humidity such as Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands."

Cars with the affected parts are being recalled, wherever they are. If you car has the defective part, the VIN will reflect that, and a dealer will replace it. If you car does not, the VIN will also reflect that, and you get what you were told by person you spoke to.

Beyond government and manufacturer resources, the only other way to know if you have an affected part is to pull it out yourself (or have a mechanic do it for you) and look at it.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 10:09 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Okay, thanks - several media reports did say the recall was geographically limited, and pointed out the irony, but maybe that was just starting out. I'm reassured about my 2004 Honda now.
posted by mmiddle at 10:23 AM on October 29, 2014

Yeah, seconding the above in that it's not geographically limited. I got a notice for my (Illinois-based) BMW a couple weeks ago. It was actually the most darkly amusing recall notice I've ever received, basically saying, "Hey, yo. We wanted to let you know that your airbag could unexpectedly become a shotgun. We can fix it for you, but we don't have the parts to do it right now, so we'll be back in touch in an unspecified amount of time. Until then we suggest you don't drive with a passenger."

Um. Yeah. Right.
posted by jammer at 3:10 PM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]