Airbag Explosion Lawsuit

Lawsuits continue to be filed by people who were injured or killed by exploding airbags that shoot out deadly pieces of metal shrapnel when they inflate.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting airbag explosion induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured or died from a defective airbag explosion, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

WARNING: 52 Million Airbag Inflators May Explode

In 2023, safety officials demanded that ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive recall 52 million airbag inflators that can explode and shoot out metal shrapnel that can injure or kill people in the vehicle. At least 2 deaths and 7 injuries were linked to these incidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Airbag inflators made by ARC and Delphi were used by 12 different auto-makers in the U.S., including:

BMW
Stellantis / Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA)
Ford
General Motors (GM)
Hyundai
Kia
Maserati
Mercedes-Benz
Porsche
Tesla
Toyota
Volkswagen (VW)

Airbag Explosion Kills Owner of 2003 Dodge Ram Truck

Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, issued a “Stop-Drive Order” after a person was killed by an exploding airbag in a 2003 Dodge Ram pickup truck. The fatality was reported in May 2023, marking the 26th death linked to Takata airbags in the U.S., but the first passenger fatality. Click here to read more.

BMW Says ‘Do Not Drive’ 90,000 Vehicles with Takata Airbags

In May 2023, BMW warned that around 90,000 older-model vehicles were too dangerous to drive because there is such a high risk that the airbag will explode and shoot out deadly pieces of metal. The heightened warning applies to vehicles from the 2000 to 2006 model-years, but many newer-model BMWs have also been recalled due to faulty airbags.

Nissan Recalls 404,000 Vehicles After 4 Airbag Injuries Reported

In February 2023, Nissan recalled about 404,000 vehicles after 4 people were injured when the “Nissan” logo emblem on the center of the steering wheel blew off when the airbag inflated, becoming a dangerous piece of shrapnel. The recall involves the following vehicles:

2008-2011 Nissan Titan (75,530)
2008-2011 Nissan Frontier (113,313)
2008-2011 Nissan Xterra (72,601)
2008-2011 Nissan Pathfinder (70,693)
2008-2011 Nissan Armada (43,616)
2008-2009 Nissan Quest (28,937)

Takata Recalls 10 Million Replacement Airbags in U.S. — Is This the End?

January 2020 — Takata is recalling 10 million replacement airbag inflators in the U.S. because they can explode. Like the originals, the replacement inflators contain an explosive chemical called ammonium nitrate.

The replacement airbags were supplied in the early phases of Takata’s worldwide recall before a permanent solution was developed.

The recall of the replacement airbags is the final recall that Takata agreed to issue in a settlement with U.S. safety regulators in 2015, and may mark the end of the biggest auto-safety recall in history. Takata filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. and Japan in 2018.

Airbag Explosion Lawsuits Are Still Being Filed

In December 2019, a woman from California filed a lawsuit against Takata and Honda after the airbags in her 2005 Honda Accord exploded in 2017. She suffered numerous severe injuries, including injuries to the neck, chest, shoulder, and a traumatic brain injury.

Takata Used Bomb-Making Chemical in Airbags

Takata airbag inflators can explode their metal canister and shoot off deadly shrapnel. The problem is that Takata used ammonium nitrate — a cheap fertilizer and highly-flammable chemical found in bombs — to create a small explosion that would rapidly inflate an airbag.

Unfortunately, Takata did not mix the ammonium nitrate with another chemical to keep it dry and stabilized. Over time, ammonium nitrate breaks down when it is exposed to high heat and humidity and becomes even more dangerous. It can burn too fast and blow apart its metal canister, spewing deadly metal shrapnel into passengers.

Was My Airbag Recalled?

To check if your vehicle has been recalled, you can visit the NHTSA airbag recall website and type in your 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN).

List of Highest-Risk Vehicles with Takata Airbags

Owners of the following vehicles with “Alpha” airbags need to get them fixed immediately because they are 50% more likely to explode, according to the NHTSA.

Do not drive these vehicles with Takata airbags unless you are going straight to a dealer to have them repaired immediately:

2006 Mazda B-Series (Mazda Advises Do Not Drive)
2006 Ford Ranger (Ford Advises Do Not Drive)
2001-2002 Honda Civic
2001-2002 Honda Accord
2002-2003 Acura TL
2002 Honda CR-V
2002 Honda Odyssey
2003 Acura CL
2003 Honda Pilot

Takata Airbag Explosion Lawsuits

Takata is facing a massive number of lawsuits involving people who were injured or died when their airbags exploded. These lawsuits claim that Takata knew about the exploding airbags for over a decade, but failed to issue recalls or notify federal safety officials.

Takata Knew About Airbag Explosion Risk in 2001

The problem was apparently discovered in 2001, when Takata issued a small recall of Isuzu vehicles. Unfortunately, manufacturing issues were not resolved. In 2004, a man in Alabama was severely injured by metal shrapnel from an exploding airbag in an Accord.

Honda and Takata called the Alabama incident “an anomaly.” However, in 2014 the New York Times reported that Takata employees said they were instructed to conduct secret tests on 50 airbags — two of which failed — and then delete all evidence.

U.S. federal safety officials did not learn of the problem until November 2008, when Honda recalled a few thousand Accords and Civics. Six months later, a woman driving a non-recalled Civic nearly died from metal shrapnel in an exploding airbag. One month after that, an 18 year-old girl driving a 2001 Honda Accord died after the airbag exploded.

Do I have an Airbag Explosion Lawsuit?

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