Independent Auto Repairers Checking Cars for Defective Airbags

There are many different rules and regulations which aim to protect those who buy cars that turn out to have serious defects.  For example, the lemon law can provide help to new car buyers, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a recall process for both newer and older cars that turn out to have serious safety issues.

Unfortunately, even when cars are recalled because of defects with potentially deadly consequences, not every consumer learns of the recalls or makes repairs in a timely manner.  The Takata airbag recall is one example of a situation where cars were sold with potentially devastating defects. Lives have already been lost because Takata airbags essentially exploded and sent metal parts flying into car occupants. 

Even with many warnings about how dangerous these airbags are, some consumers have not found out about the problem or gotten their car fixed. Now, Auto Week reports that Honda is trying to make sure owners of all of its cars are made aware of the need for an airbag repair.

The Plan to Check for Airbag Defects

According to Auto Week, Honda has teamed up with a company called CCC that provides software to collision repair shops across the country. Under the deal between Honda and CCC, CCC arranged to make a program that flags Acura or Honda cars that have open recall notices as a result of unrepaired Takata airbags being installed in the car.

The program is an additional tool in Honda's existing notification process and is aimed at making sure independent body shops can help in the effort to alert motorists if there is a dangerous unrepaired defect in their car. More than 10.7 million vehicles sold under the Honda or Acura Brand were sold with Takata airbags that have defective inflators that put motorists at risk.  Honda is trying to reach all of these millions of motorists through different notification efforts, including its partnership with CCC.

CCC rolled out the program, called True Recall, in October of 2016.  CCC systems now run a vehicle's VIN number against a database that Honda provided to them as a dealer's estimate for repairs is being written.  If the VIN number matches a number in the Honda database indicating that the car has an unrepaired Takata airbag, a notification will pop up on the screen so the repair shop can alert the driver.

Since at least 11 deaths have already been linked to problems with Takata airbags, car dealers like Honda are interested in finding every possible way then can to alert owners about airbag issues and encourage car owners to get fixes made. However, not every situation where there is a defect results in car dealers making a dedicated effort to alert car owners to problems.

There are situations where car owners need to get legal help in getting problems with defective cars resolved. New car owners who need assistance should consult with a Los Angeles lemon law lawyer about whether they have options under the law.