Transport Canada Issues Latest Round of Takata Airbag Recalls

Transport Canada has published its latest batch of recalls related to the Takata airbag scandal; the seven new bulletins add about 62,000 vehicles to the number affected by the recall in this country, and are in addition to the 12 million cars most recently recalled in the United States.

Honda makes the largest contribution of any automaker this time around, with a shade under 29,000 vehicles affected, including Element and Pilot crossovers, Odyssey minivans and Acura MDX upscale crossovers from model years 2002 through 2004.

Italian exotic car manufacturer Ferrari makes its first appearance on the Canadian list, with 287 examples of the 458 Italia (2010 and 2011) and California (2009-2011) models.

Infiniti has added about 3,000 vehicles to its Canadian total, including I30 and I35 sedans and FX crossovers sold from 2003 through 2008.

The recall also includes 5,200 Audi A4 models and nearly 7,300 Mazda MPV vans and RX-8 sports cars sold in 2004.

Also affected are 11,000 Subaru Baja, Outback and Legacy models sold in 2003 and 2004, as well as more than 6,100 Mitsubishi Lancers sold in 2006 and 2007.

As has been the case with previous Takata recalls, the problem lies in airbag inflators whose chemical propellant can be adversely affected by high humidity and cause the airbag to deploy (in a crash) with more force than normal. The real risk is that can cause metal fragments to break off and fly through the cabin at high speed. Transport Canada says our country's less-humid climate (compared to the southern U.S., for example) means the propellant degrades less quickly, making the replacement of the faulty parts less critical. Still, the safety regulator says it is conducting the recall "to address future risk," and expects that all inflators will be replaced "before their function would be affected."

Click here for the complete list of Canadian vehicles affected by the Takata recall.