About 500,000 vehicles in Thailand still have defective Takata airbags, which could explode and hurl metal fragments at drivers and passengers, the The Thai Automotive Industry Association (TAIA) has warned.
The warning follows a fatal accident in Singapore on Sept 29, when a driver was killed by shrapnel from a ruptured Takata airbag. It was the first such death reported in the city-state, more than a decade after global recalls began.
The TAIA said in July that despite years of recall campaigns by major carmakers, many vehicle owners in Thailand have yet to have their airbags checked or replaced.
The defective airbags have been linked to numerous injuries and deaths worldwide, including cases in Thailand. A total of 14 car brands have recalled affected models in Thailand:
Chevrolet (2007-15)
BMW (1998-2018)
Ford (1998-2014)
Honda (1998-2014)
Mazda (1996-2014)
Mitsubishi (2005-15)
Nissan (2000-15)
Toyota (2001-14)
Lexus (2006-16)
Jaguar XE (2015-17) and XF (2009-15)
Land Rover Discovery (2015-16) and Land Rover (2011-12)
Audi (1997-2017)
Mercedes-Benz (2004-16)
Subaru (2004-12)
Owners of affected vehicles are urged to contact authorised service centres or call centres of their respective brands to book a free replacement. The repair is carried out at no cost. More information is available from the TAIA at its dedicated website www.checkairbag.com.