Tesla included in new Takata airbag recall

[zwede]

Takata Recalls Another 35-40M Airbags, Includes Tesla, Jaguar & Land Rover

I have not been able to find any info on which Teslas are included in the recall.

 

[mikeash]

Nuts. I was hoping we'd escaped this mess.

For those worrying about driving around with a deadly car until our recall actually happens (my first reaction), a key quote from the article:

"This recall schedule ensures the inflators will be recalled and replaced before they become dangerous."

Apparently they take time to degrade to the point of being dangerous, so it's not an immediate thing.

 

[Gizmotoy]

Airbags are expensive. How is Takata even still a viable company? They've replaced millions of these things. Such a huge financial hit to absorb.

 

[zwede]

Do they replace the entire airbag assembly or just the inflator?

 

[msnow]

I couldn't even find "Tesla" in the PDF list that was included in the link. Did anyone?

 

[AndreyATC]

Per CR, Tesla is not on the list though

Takata Airbag Recall - Everything You Need to Know

 

[zwede]

CR hasn't updated their list yet. The expansion of the recall was just announced today.

From the NHTSA site:

NOTE: This list does not yet include vehicles in the May 4 announced Takata recall expansion. It will be updated to reflect the expanded recall when this information is available. Please sign up for NHTSA’s Recall Alerts to be notified when you can search for all vehicles affected by this recall using the Recalls Lookup Tool.

 

[rog]

Yep, not posted yet. But if you want to have some laughs, use the above linked lookup tool and search for Tesla Model S 2016... Some people just don't have anything else to do I guess.

 

[Edmond]

Hm, this must include uncertified cars.

The .pdf doesn't list any cars newer than 2011, as the propellant degradation occurs over time, and they're doing the cars most at risk first. Tesla Roadster must have used a different brand.

 

[pgiralt]

From what I understand, they aren't dangerous until the airbag is at least 6 years old and primarily in hot, humid areas so Tesla had plenty of time to deal with this and replace all our air bags if they are affected.

 

[KZKZ]

What model years have the defective airbags? I can't seem to find anything definitive online.

 

[msnow]

This is old news.
Tesla is affected by the latest Takata airbag recall, but don’t expect a recall notice soon

 

[TaoJones]

What model years have the defective airbags? I can't seem to find anything definitive online.

Presumably none, yet. The oldest Model S is not quite 4 years old.

 

[KZKZ]

This is old news.
Tesla is affected by the latest Takata airbag recall, but don’t expect a recall notice soon

Thanks for the link. Things seem to be very murky. Tesla has been very vague regarding what model years have the defective airbags. The recall plans I understand may take time to develop, but it would still be nice to know before buying a used car, which model years have the bad airbags and which ones do not.

 

[TaoJones]

Thanks for the link. Things seem to be very murky. Tesla has been very vague regarding what model years have the defective airbags. The recall plans I understand may take time to develop, but it would still be nice to know before buying a used car, which model years have the bad airbags and which ones do not.

In the absence of information, why not presume that they all do, and in 2-6 years that, worst case, Tesla will replace the airbag or the airbag component(s) with a new one, which will reset the clock.

This is one of those times that owning a car from a smaller firm is beneficial as you won't be behind millions of other owners in line ahead of you.

The shorts should just focus upon production and the SCTY merriment.

 

[KZKZ]

In the absence of information, why not presume that they all do, and in 2-6 years that, worst case, Tesla will replace the airbag or the airbag component(s) with a new one, which will reset the clock.

It would be nice to know before buying a used S which ones have the defective airbags so you don't have to bother with the repair. I wouldn't be happy about techs replacing the air bags, especially the passenger side airbag. Replacing that airbag doesn't look like a trivial matter.

 

[jelloslug]

Airbags are expensive. How is Takata even still a viable company? They've replaced millions of these things. Such a huge financial hit to absorb.

They are not. They auto companies basically own them now and the only reason they are still making parts is to supply replacement airbags for millions and millions of cars.

 

[mikeash]

They are not. They auto companies basically own them now and the only reason they are still making parts is to supply replacement airbags for millions and millions of cars.

It's a little bit like the old saying: if you owe the bank a million dollars, you have a problem. If you owe the bank a billion dollars, the bank has a problem.

If you make a defective part, you have a problem. If you make sixty million defective parts, the car makers have a problem.

 

[NewCow]

Nuts. I was hoping we'd escaped this mess.

For those worrying about driving around with a deadly car until our recall actually happens (my first reaction), a key quote from the article:

"This recall schedule ensures the inflators will be recalled and replaced before they become dangerous."

Apparently they take time to degrade to the point of being dangerous, so it's not an immediate thing.

Correct, it takes many years under very specific environmental conditions to degrade, so it's not an immediate concern, but all Tesla owners should be aware of this and check their VINs once an official recall is issued.

 

[KZKZ]

Tesla seems to be the only manufacturer that's been silent on this defect.

Even a small shred of information from the company would be useful, like the model years affected.

Why would the company not release this information?