Four carmakers are still selling new cars with defective Takata airbags,

Aug 6, 2006
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Mitsubishi, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler and Volkswagen.

If you are buying a new car you should check out the details online.
There are millions of vehicles that still have ammonium nitrate inflators that are essentially tiny bombs that can explode with so much force they can send bits of metal into your jugular, which is not a good thing.
Magazines that sell ads advertising cars have not revealed the extent of this problem. The government has done a pretty good job of demanding action, but Takata cannot make enough inflators to cover the needs of the recall.

I observe that no political party has a word to say about this. Takata has settled with people its airbags have killed and maimed, always with a pledge of confidentiality regarding the amount awarded.
I read about this in an article in Bloomberg Magazine, that indicated that the Senate hearings had managed to pressure Takata (the airbag manufacturer) to reveal that "four car makers were still making airbags that will need to be replaced", but the magazine did not reveal WHICH four companies, so I googled it, and found that this was mentioned in a New York Times article.
If you have friends who are shopping for a car that do not deserve to have their jugulars sliced by airbag shrapnel, pass the word.

I am posting this because I assume that (1) some forum members will buy cars to bring to the RD from the USA and (2) auto recall procedures are not that well publicized in the US,and getting a replacement for free at a dealer in the DR might be difficult.
I have no idea whether airbags are required on new cars sold in the DR. My car is so ancient it lacks a computer and an airbag.
 
Jan 7, 2016
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I believe driver and passenger bags are required in new vehicles here in the D.R. Side airbags are not required, but are on some new models. Not sure about the knee bolster bags on the driver side.
 

drstock

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Oct 29, 2010
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When someone here took my Mitsubishi without permission and crashed it, I was quite pleased that the airbag didn't work, even if it meant I had to replace the windscreen where his head hit it!
 
Aug 6, 2006
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When airbags do not deploy, there is a better than average chance that they have been removed or disabled.
If people would just buckle up, some airbags would not be necessary
 

1979

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May 4, 2016
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Not surprising. I've heard stories of automakers being willing to pay for the inevitable lawsuits rather than fixing a problem because it worked out better financially.
 

wrecksum

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Sep 27, 2010
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What's an airbag?

Mine doesn't have such a thing..

(Isn't that an obsolete term for a flight attendant?)