Airbag Warning: Do Not Drive These Pre-2016 Car Models

Citing potentially lethal danger from unreplaced Takata airbag inflators, car makers Ford and Mazda issued “Do Not Drive” orders for several older vehicle models this month.

When the defective airbag inflators deploy, the “explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death,” warns the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Do Not Drive orders cover nearly 500,000 vehicles released by Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, or Mazda between 2003 and 2015 that were previously recalled and have not been repaired.

See the announcement from NHTSA.

The orders from Ford and Mazda are the latest action from manufacturers who have weathered the Takata recall for many years. Several automakers have issued Do Not Drive orders since the recall effort began, including Acura, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Mazda, Nissan, Pontiac, and Toyota.

“Tens of millions of vehicles with Takata air bags are under recall,” regulators warn.

The industry-wide effort to recall and replace defective airbags started more than a decade ago. In that time, these devices have caused dozens of deaths (including 27 in the US) and injured hundreds. Takata declared bankruptcy in 2017.

The Washington Post reports that, per Carfax, more than 6 million cars are still equipped with defective air bags.

Motorists in the US can check the status of ongoing vehicle recalls at NHTSA’s website: Check for Recalls.

BMW Airbag Recall: July 2024

In July 2024, BMW recalled nearly 400,000 older 3 Series models (2006—2011).

In a public notice, the NHTSA warns BMW drivers about “a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with a Takata driver’s front air bag module that contains a PSDI-5 inflater that could have been installed by an owner, even though it was not officially offered/approved by BMW…”

Why Are Car Airbags Regulated as a Hazardous Material in Transportation?

Since the 2015 US DOT PHMSA rulemaking to harmonize US regulations with international standards, safety devices must be described in transportation in one of two ways:

• UN3268, Safety devices, electrically initiated, 9
• UN0503, Safety devices, pyrotechnic, 1.4G

The first of these two is reserved for safety devices that pass specific testing criteria found in Special Provision 160 and have been certified by a PHMSA-approved explosives testing lab.

Class 9 hazardous materials are excepted from the more stringent labeling, marking, and shipping paper requirements that apply to safety devices shipped as explosive materials (1.4G). Also, if a safety device is not "used in vehicles, vessels or aircraft to enhance safety to persons,” it cannot qualify for Class 9 reliefs.

Training to Ship Hazmat Safety Devices

The Shipping Airbags and Other Automotive Safety Devices online course prepares shippers to ensure compliance with detailed US and international regulations for classifying, packaging, marking, labeling, and documenting shipments of safety devices like airbag inflators, airbag modules, and seatbelt pretensioners.

Access training from any internet connection, stop and start as needed to fit your schedule, and receive a trusted Certificate from Lion Technology when you complete the course.

Tags: airbag, hazardous materials