Australian drivers are being urged to check whether their cars have a brand of potentially faulty airbags as the federal government imposes a recall of all cars with the affected products.
The faulty Takata airbags have been linked to the death of at least one Australian and 19 deaths worldwide as well as dozens of injuries.
The airbags contain an inflator component that may deteriorate and mis-deploy, causing metal fragments to fling out.
The federal government on Thursday issued proposed recall notice of all vehicles with defective Takata airbags.
The recall would affect a number of models of major carmakers including BMW, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota.
Drivers are being encouraged to check their car’s make, model and vehicle identification number on the recall website.
They can replace their airbags for free at their local dealer or manufacturer.
“The recall will also include replacement of ‘like for like’ airbags which have been installed as part of the earlier recalls, as they will also deteriorate over time,” Small Business Minister Michael McCormack said in a statement.
The recall notice follows an investigation by the consumer watchdog, which found the Takata airbags without a drying agent or calcium sulphate desiccant have design flaws which can cause an airbag to mis-deploy and cause serious injury or even death.
