GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Whether Michigan drivers can get a critical repair to their air bags depends a lot on the brand of vehicle they drive.
It’s the largest automotive recall in U.S. history: Takatastarted taking back air bag inflators after it was found they can explode with too much force and spray shrapnel. At least 22 deaths have been blamed on the faulty inflators. The recalls began several years ago, but there are still millions of unrepaired vehicles on the road.
Pam Casteel of Clarksville told Target 8 in January that she has been trying to get the air bags on her 2008 Ford Edge replaced since first getting the recall notice in July 2016. She checks on the status every time she goes to her dealership, but keeps being told it can’t get the repair parts in.
“I keep my recall notice right above the visor in my car and I pull it out and say, ‘Hey guys, what’s the scoop?’ They said, ‘Well, to be honest with you, it’s going to be April of 2018 (before a repair is available).’ I’m like, ‘Seriously, come on guys, I want my car fixed,'” Casteel said. “This devalues my car. It makes it a driving threat. Every time I get behind the wheel, it is a threat.”
Full story: WOOD TV