Nearly two million deadly Takata airbags remain fitted to Australian cars a year on from a compulsory national recall.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says while 1.1 million faulty Takata airbags have been replaced in around 930,000 vehicles since the recall began, another 1.8 million remain in place.
ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard is warning motorists not to be complacent about having airbags replaced as they can degrade over time and become lethal by misdeploying and firing metal shards at anyone in the car.
A major recall of Takata airbags is now underway following major safety issues. Source: Choice
She said affected cars should not be on the road.
"I think they are ticking time bombs, which is why we have been unequivocal in our advice," she told ABC’s AM radio.
“Don’t ignore or delay responding to a letter or call from your car’s manufacturer asking you to have your airbag replaced. The airbags degrade over time and can become lethal by mis-deploying and firing metal shards at the car’s occupants."
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries launched a multi-million-dollar awareness campaign this week, including a website that allows motorists to check if their cares are affected.
The ACCC believes NSW has the highest number of at risk vehicles - an estimated 448,000 that still need to be fixed, followed by 400,000 in Victoria.
The airbag recall was triggered over concerns the key propellant used in the Takata system can degrade over time.
State and territory breakdown of airbags needing replacement. Source: ACCC
When there is a crash, airbags inflate with the aid of canisters that contain explosive propellants. Takata airbags use ammonium nitrate - a chemical found to degrade after long-term exposure to high temperatures and humidity.
Degraded ammonium nitrate can cause inflators to become dangerously pressurised and explode when airbags deploy, sending shrapnel flying.
Worldwide, the airbags have been linked to 23 deaths and more than 230 serious injuries.
In Australia, there’s been one death and another serious injury linked to flying shrapnel from the airbags.
You can follow the ACCC recall status here or view further information about the airbags and the recall here.
