The French Ministry of Transport has ordered car manufacturers, of all brands, to stop an additional 800,000 vehicles equipped with Takata airbags, raising the total number of affected cars in France to 1.7 million.
The affected models are all those equipped with airbags deemed risky in Corsica and in the French overseas territories, as well as models manufactured before 2011 in the metropolitan territory, except in Corsica.
At the same time, the ministry requested the return to the factory of all vehicles with risky airbags throughout France, which amounts to an additional 600,000 units.
The risky airbags are of the same technology as those that caused several accidents previously, and the government’s announcement raises the total number of vehicles covered by the factory return request in France to 2.5 million, of which 1.7 million are subject to a ‘stop drive,’ meaning a requirement to immobilize the vehicle.
“This decision aims to send a clear and firm message to manufacturers, while also encouraging the owners of the affected vehicles to check their vehicles as soon as possible”, states the communication from the French Ministry of Transport.
This announcement comes after an accident that occurred on June 11 in Reims, in which a 36-year-old woman died due to the explosion of her airbag. The 13-year-old passenger in the back seat was injured.
This is the second fatal accident recorded in France related to these ‘airbags’, which have caused a total of 18 deaths and 25 injuries, of which 16 deaths and 24 injuries occurred in the French overseas territories, according to the Ministry of Transport.
It should be noted that the problem with the defective ‘airbags’ from the Japanese brand Takata emerged in 2014, and has affected the global automotive sector with several cases of fatalities. The issue involves a gas that becomes unstable and can cause the ‘airbag’ to explode, especially in hot and humid climates, where the weather can lead to its degradation.
