NL Takata Airbag Alert

[Skexis]

Apparently NL's may have dodgy Takata airbags. Check productsafety.gov.au for further info.

[2lateagain]

I have a 1999 NL, saw it on the news, but unable to find anything on the Safety Recall Site, must be looking in the wrong area. Just found it on the ACCC web site under NEWS. Have sent off an email to see what happens next.


Graham

[Alex86]

VIN list is “TBA” on the productsafety website.

If I remember tomorrow I’ll call the listed number. I really hope I don’t have to go thru replacement.

[spot01]

Link to the list of affected vehicles:

https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/consumers-warned-of-new-airbag-safety-risk

They are suggesting people consider not driving affected vehicles.

[Robin]

VIN list is “TBA” on the productsafety website.

If I remember tomorrow I’ll call the listed number. I really hope I don’t have to go thru replacement.

I was sent a notice from Takata in July this year that our Astra 09 needed to have the driver side airbag replaced and gave me instructions what to do, so I rang our local dealer of GMH and they said we can do it but we are fully booked and the earliest we could do was in November, I said fine and booked it in. Well in the mean time I had a second letter saying this is the 2nd notice you must get your airbag changed over. I rang them and said it was booked in to be done in November at our local dealer and gave them details of were it was to be done and the date, they said that's ok sorry about. Ok on the day I took it to the local dealer at the time they gave me, they said about 1 hour to do fine. They rang me all done your car is ready, picked up the car no problems yes it only took about an hour, no problems. Got home checked the mail box after I got out of the car, a notice from the post office you have registered mail went to the PO. Guess what a letter telling me that this is a 3rd notice saying do not drive this car until the airbag is replaced you will need to organize a tow truck to take it to the dealer as your vehicle is unsafe to drive we will cover the cost of this. Confused, me to.

[Jasonmc73]

I was sent a notice from Takata in July this year that our Astra 09 needed to have the driver side airbag replaced and gave me instructions what to do, so I rang our local dealer of GMH and they said we can do it but we are fully booked and the earliest we could do was in November, I said fine and booked it in. Well in the mean time I had a second letter saying this is the 2nd notice you must get your airbag changed over. I rang them and said it was booked in to be done in November at our local dealer and gave them details of were it was to be done and the date, they said that's ok sorry about. Ok on the day I took it to the local dealer at the time they gave me, they said about 1 hour to do fine. They rang me all done your car is ready, picked up the car no problems yes it only took about an hour, no problems. Got home checked the mail box after I got out of the car, a notice from the post office you have registered mail went to the PO. Guess what a letter telling me that this is a 3rd notice saying do not drive this car until the airbag is replaced you will need to organize a tow truck to take it to the dealer as your vehicle is unsafe to drive we will cover the cost of this. Confused, me to.

Yeah you were driving around with a possible bomb in your face.
Not a bomb unless the airbag is activated of course.

[spot01]

I was sent a notice from Takata in July this year that our Astra 09 needed to have the driver side airbag replaced and gave me instructions what to do, so I rang our local dealer of GMH and they said we can do it but we are fully booked and the earliest we could do was in November, I said fine and booked it in. Well in the mean time I had a second letter saying this is the 2nd notice you must get your airbag changed over. I rang them and said it was booked in to be done in November at our local dealer and gave them details of were it was to be done and the date, they said that's ok sorry about. Ok on the day I took it to the local dealer at the time they gave me, they said about 1 hour to do fine. They rang me all done your car is ready, picked up the car no problems yes it only took about an hour, no problems. Got home checked the mail box after I got out of the car, a notice from the post office you have registered mail went to the PO. Guess what a letter telling me that this is a 3rd notice saying do not drive this car until the airbag is replaced you will need to organize a tow truck to take it to the dealer as your vehicle is unsafe to drive we will cover the cost of this. Confused, me to.

I'm not - car makers trying to cover their backside whilst not meeting their obligations really annoy me. Some dealers appear to have restricted the number of airbag recalls they will perform in a given period of time because they don't get paid as much as if their people are doing service work, so they ration the recall work to protect their "bottom line" - the car makers need to stamp out this outrageous practice by some dealers. If you book a service at your cost your airbag may suddenly be done at the same time.

[stumagoo]

NL Pajeros adn certain BMW's and a couple of other cars are now being recalled in the USA - the airbag fault is not the same as the earlier takata issue its just been discovered that the older canisters are just getting old and rusting (like I have been saying since the Takata thing started) and have now been known to have caused death - one being a NL Pajero here in Aussie.... In the USA the recall states that all affected vehciles are now unsafe to drive and need to be trailered to the dealer to be rectified.

I have actually replaced my dash with a non Airbag NL model complete with the steering wheel I did this 2 years ago and have recieved major flak about driving an unsafe vehicle in other circles (and likely will here as well now) but working in the smash repair industry and seeing the state of those canisters ----- I dont trust any old airbag canisters at all

[BruceandBobbi]

Yeah you were driving around with a possible bomb in your face.
Not a bomb unless the airbag is activated of course.

There have been cases where the canister has activated without an accident and the driver has died.

[disco stu]

I have actually replaced my dash with a non Airbag NL model complete with the steering wheel I did this 2 years ago and have recieved major flak about driving an unsafe vehicle in other circles (and likely will here as well now) but working in the smash repair industry and seeing the state of those canisters ----- I dont trust any old airbag canisters at all

Isn't that just as safe/dangerous as just driving a non airbag from the factory car? Seems a bit extreme to say it's an unsafe car

Can't you just unplug the airbag or ecu if you have to wait a fair while to get it done?

[Jasonmc73]

There have been cases where the canister has activated without an accident and the driver has died.

Thata great news !!

So really are driving around wth possible bomb in your face.

[motorazr]

Contacted Mitsubishi this morning on their Takata Hotline, was advised that they were still awaiting confirmation from Japan as to which vehicles were affected in the latest ACCC recall for the Nadi airbag.Contact details were taken and advised that they would be in touch when more information available.

[stumagoo]

Isn't that just as safe/dangerous as just driving a non airbag from the factory car? Seems a bit extreme to say it's an unsafe car

Can't you just unplug the airbag or ecu if you have to wait a fair while to get it done?

yes and yes... you can unplug the airbag ecu or even pull the fuse - but my wagon also does a lot of rock bouncing and sand dunes at speed the chance of an airbag misfire is higher in these situations adnI wanted teh grab rail on the non airbag dash for the passenger for the same driving.

My Paj is mainly a weekend warrior now not my daily so its lucky to do 5000kms a year and get used for 2 days out of every fortnight....

All in all I figured no airbags was no different from the NJ I drove before this

[arrow]

So, I don't disable the airbag and don't have a crash but where it might still might injure/maim/kill me, or,
I disable the airbag and have a crash where I might be injured/maimed or killed.

I think I'll go for the former as I reckon the odds are more in my favour.

Until MMC can be definitive in which NL's are affected then there is no certainty that my vehicles are at risk. My response from MMA was the same as that of Motorazr's. If it's a serious concern they would be acting with appropriate haste to limit their liability if nothing else. If it's a concern and they don't act with the appropriate haste then they are potentially leaving themselves somewhat vulnerable to possible action.

[tomwithannl]

With the NL the problem is age "deterioration" related. So as far as I can see ALL NL's with air bags will be affected. The problem with a recall on NL's is that they won't be able to issue a vin range as air bags were a "safety pack" option, not fitted standard from a certain build number. (Except maybe for the very last 99-2000 run?) I think IF a recall is issued it will be for any and all NL's fitted with air bags.
I have already been through two air bag recalls with other cars(twice each as they were like for like for the first time) and it is a pain in the AR*E especially if you are like me and live in a rural area!
Tom