Airbag disaster worsens

Things are not improving in the Takata airbag disaster. The product recall has become the largest ever in Australia and it now has the potential to turn into a legal stoush, according to reports in Sydney's The Daily Telegraph.

Five individuals who claim to have been injured as a result of defective airbags have apparently requested that Shine Lawyers conduct an investigation into the potential for a class action. In addition, the faulty product's manufacturer and car makers are being criticised for being too slow to react. Back in 2013, it was considered that 12,000 Australian cars were at risk, but that number has since risen to 850,000.

Things continue to get worse as the saga drags on, as there are 54 million affected vehicles worldwide and reports suggest that Takata is now unable to meet demand for replacement. The Telegraph quotes Senator Nick Xenophon as saying, “The manufacturers should be treating this as a consumer safety emergency and pulling out all the stops. Would those car company executives want their family members to be driving in cars when there is a real chance of injury or death?”

The debacle raises many questions about the effectiveness of the Australian product recall process as a whole. Locally, Toyota has been singled out as neglectful in its attempts to address the issues. Aside from sending letters to affected customers, there has been little proactive engagement on its part and a spokeswoman for the company is quoted as saying that it is "relying on customers to book in their cars" for checks.

A representative for Shine Lawyers suggested that car makers needed to do more to get customers into safer vehicles. If the class action goes ahead, it is likely to target Takata and the car makers.

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