Hawaii sues over airbags that ‘spew shrapnel’

HONOLULU: Hawaii is suing auto manufacturers Ford, Nissan and Toyota over airbags that can spew shrapnel when they deploy.

The complaint filed says the manufacturers knew or should have known for more than a decade that airbags installed in their cars posed serious and sometimes fatal danger.

The automakers used airbags made by Japanese manufacturer Takata. At least 16 people have been killed worldwide and more than 180 have been injured because of the defect, which led to the largest automotive recall in US history.

“They used it because it was cheaper,” said Stephen Levins, executive director of Hawaii’s Office of Consumer Protection. “It saved a few dollars for the car manufacturers to market this dangerous product to consumers here in Hawaii despite publicly available information that ammonium nitrate, this is a chemical principally used to propel rockets ... was volatile and unpredictable.”

Levins compared the airbags to a hand grenade in the front of a car.

Spokesmen from Ford, Nissan and Toyota declined to comment on the lawsuit filed on Wednesday.

Hawaii residents are particularly vulnerable to defective airbags because the state’s humid climate and temperature changes can accelerate chemical breakdown, making the airbags more likely to explode, Levins said.

However, many car owners are unable to replace the airbags immediately because the dealers don’t have enough parts.

The lawsuit seeks damages of US$10,000 (RM42,900) per violation.

Hawaii was the first state to sue Takata and Honda over defective airbags last year. New Mexico sued Takata and a long list of automakers in January.