The Department of Transport (DoT) will cancel the licences of 740 vehicles fitted with defective Takata airbags, on January 31, in a final bid to take these vehicles off our roads.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission updated the compulsory Takata airbag recalls list in December 2020, advising these airbags have the potential to explode with too much force, even in minor accidents, sending sharp metal fragments into the vehicle at high speed, potentially killing or seriously injuring its occupants.
DoT identified 4,480 affected vehicles registered in Western Australia, and as with previous recalls, contacted owners to inform them of the need to replace these dangerous airbags urgently.
Overall, the response from the community has been swift, with 3,740 airbags successfully replaced at no cost to the owner.
In August 2021, DoT issued owners with an outstanding recall status remaining on their vehicle with a notice of intention to cancel the vehicle licence.
Another cancellation notice will be issued shortly and this will be the final opportunity to have the defective airbags replaced free of charge by the car’s manufacturer.
If the airbag isn’t replaced before the January 31 deadline the vehicle’s licence will be cancelled.
While every effort has been made to contact affected owners, drivers are urged to check if their vehicle is affected by visiting the Takata airbag recalls list on the Product Safety Australia website or visiting https://www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
“We have worked proactively to assist Western Australians in responding to the compulsory Takata airbag recalls.
“There are more than 700 of these defective airbags still on our roads, and while this is a tough announcement to make and we do not take the decision to cancel vehicle licences lightly, we are committed to ensuring safe vehicles for all road users and the wider community.
“We need a strong message that vehicles fitted with faulty Takata airbags are not safe and owners should stop driving them immediately and contact the manufacturer to arrange free replacement.”
As stated by Road Safety Minister Paul Papalia:
“Airbags can detect a crash within milliseconds of a vehicle hitting another vehicle or object, deploying between 10 and 40 milliseconds of having a crash – which provides instant protection for people involved in a crash.
“But they need to be working effectively, so we need to take action to remove those faulty airbags from our roads.
“I urge those who haven’t already done so to arrange with their vehicle manufacturer for the free replacement of the faulty Takata airbags.”
