Takata Corporation Airbag Class Action Lawsuit

The Takata Corporation is an automotive parts company based in Japan. They are responsible for manufacturing various parts of nearly every major car company on the market, including BMW, Toyota, Ford, and Honda, to name a few. After making seatbelts and steering wheels for decades, Takata began manufacturing airbags in 1988. In 2013, however, car owners across the United States began complaining about many of these airbags—and by May 2013, 3.6 million cars were recalled due to defective Takata airbags.

The national defective product attorneys at Golomb & Honik are currently investigating Takata Corporation and seeking owners of affected vehicles. If you or someone you know owns a vehicle that has been recalled because of a defective Takata airbag, call us at 1-800-355-3300 or 1-215-985-9177 immediately to evaluate your case.

Takata Airbag Defects & Negligent Manufacturing

13 years ago, Takata issued a recall notice relating to exploding air bags and a known defect in Isuzu Motors Ltd vehicles. Since then, exploding airbags in hundreds of vehicles has caused numerous injuries and even deaths. After 3.6 million vehicles were recalled due to defective Takata airbags in 2013, auto manufacturers announced in June 2014 that they were recalling an additional 3 million vehicles around the world due to faulty airbags.

Just how bad is this defect? According to complaints, the airbags explode and send flying debris ricocheting around the inside of the vehicle, causing serious injury and even death. In June 2014, Takata Corporation admitted that they had made mistakes in the manufacturing and storing of explosive propellants used in their airbags. They also admitted that they had failed to keep proper records of quality control and that excessive moisture could have been the cause of the defect.

Affected Vehicles with Airbag Defects

According to documents, Takata airbags have been known to explode upon even the slightest impact. Thus, a minor rear-end collision could result in significant injuries. In addition, owners of these vehicles are now in possession of a car with significantly decreased value. Vehicles that have been affected by the Takata recall include:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has urged all owners of suspected vehicles to contact their dealers immediately and not to drive with passengers until their airbags have been replaced.

Takata Airbag Class Action Lawsuits

In October 2014, the first class-action lawsuit was filed against Takata Corporation and several other automakers that used these airbags. The lawsuit alleged that Takata knowingly manufactured and continued to manufacture defective and potentially deadly air bags for over a decade. The lawsuit also alleged that Honda realized its first Takata air bag explosion in 2004, but did not tell federal safety regulators until 2009—5 years later. Other defendants named in the class action lawsuit are Honda, BMW, Ford, and Toyota.

National Defective Product Lawyers

Golomb & Honik is currently seeking owners of recalled vehicles to serve as class action representatives in statewide and nationwide class action lawsuits against Takata and vehicle manufacturers. If you are the owner of such a car, we believe that the vehicle you have purchased or leased is defective and therefore of diminished value. Car owners across the country are filing lawsuits in class action cases to obtain compensation for the decreased value of their vehicle. To learn more about your legal options or to schedule a free consultation call the Pennsylvania defective product lawyers at Golomb & Honik today at 1-800-355-3300 or 1-215-985-9177 or fill out our confidential Contact Form.

The national product liability lawyers at Golomb & Honik have successfully represented individuals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and throughout the United States.