The quarterly recall figures for Takata airbags reveal steady progress is being made in the recall but the ACCC is warning motorists not to become complacent.

As at 31 March 2019 around 2.1 million (69 per cent) of vehicles have been rectified leaving around 734,000 (24 per cent) of vehicles remaining.

Around 192,000 (seven per cent) of vehicles have been identified by manufacturers as written off, unregistered for more than two consecutive years, exported, scrapped, stolen or modified and unable to have the airbag replaced.

“We urge motorists who have received recall notifications from their car manufacturer to act now to arrange for a replacement which is free of charge,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.

“Our biggest concern is that there are around 12,000 vehicles that are identified as critically requiring repair, including more than 8,800 containing the most dangerous type of ‘alpha ‘ airbag. The alpha airbag can have up to a 50 per cent chance of misdeployment if triggered in an incident. These cars pose a serious and heightened safety risk and should not be driven.”

Vehicle manufacturers are replacing all faulty Takata airbags according to priority risk factors and are required to complete the mandatory recall by 31 December 2020.

Some vehicles are under active recall for replacement now, with others on a rolling basis, scheduled for future recall based on priority factors.

“We encourage consumers to visit Is My Airbag Safe to check if their vehicle is affected. All you need is your registration plate number. It only takes thirty seconds and can give consumers piece of mind. It might save you or your family from being seriously injured, or worse.”

Source: ACCC