Major car brands recall over 1.8 million vehicles as airbags could 'kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries'
Hundreds of thousands of motorists have been issued with a 'Do Not Drive' notice
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More than 1.7 million cars have been recalled over serious concerns that the airbags could deploy and seriously injure or even kill drivers and passengers in impacted vehicles.
Some of the most popular brands around the world have been forced to recall vehicles over serious concerns relating to airbags manufactured by the Japanese brand Takata.
GB News has rounded up the most important car recalls of the past few weeks that drivers need to know about.
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Both brands have had to recall vehicles over airbag safety fears
PA/MAZDA
Ford and Mazda
According to the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford Motor Co. and Mazda North America Operations issued an urgent "Do Not Drive" warning for more than 457,000 vehicles.
The warning outlines that if a driver has one of the affected vehicles, they should not drive it until the repair is completed and the defective airbag is replaced.
The airbags come from Takata, which have come under intense scrutiny in recent months, with the "Do Not Drive" warning covering all Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda vehicles that are equipped with "non-desiccated" Takata airbags.
Experts fear the airbags could explode and cause injuries
PA
The NHTSA states: "Some of these vehicles are now more than 20 years old, which increases the risk of an airbag rupturing in a crash. If an explosion occurs, it can severely injure or kill vehicle occupants."
To date, the NHTSA has confirmed that there have been 27 people in the United States killed by defective Takata airbags that have exploded, as well as 400 injuries.
The safety organisation warned that "even minor crashes" have the ability to "kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries".
Owners have been advised to contact their dealership to schedule a free repair and follow any warnings from the vehicle manufacturer. This could include free towing, mobile repair and loan vehicles.
The BMW X5BMWBMW
The German manufacturer is also required to recall 1.36 million vehicles in China after potential risks with Takata airbags and are for locally produced and imported cars.
A further recall notice has been issued in the United States for 105,558 vehicles, with a software update being issued to fix concerns related to a starter motor that can overheat.
This will impact owners of various models, including some X5, X7, 3 and 7 Series models. Owners of these vehicles will be able to update the software for free as notification letters are expected to be sent out in September.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The 2020 Dodge Journey SUV
STELLANTIS
Dodge
Almost one million Dodge vehicles have been included in an "engineering analysis" investigation by the NHTSA to look at faulty door locks and windows.
While a recall notice has not been issued, the analysis will include certain Dodge Journey crossovers manufactured between 2009 and 2020.
This follows a preliminary evaluation of 82,000 Dodge Journey SUVs, which was originally launched in May 2023, Reuters reported.