Thousands of Louisville drivers at risk due to deadly Takata airbags

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- New research shows thousands of Louisville drivers have potentially deadly airbags.

Since 2014, 88% of Takata airbags have been repaired or replaced. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports tens of millions of vehicles with Takata airbags remain under recall.

"This Takata airbag recall program has been around for a long, long, long time," said James Morton, a recall specialist in Louisville. "When you have the U.S. Department of Transportation stepping in and going 'hey, we need to get this done.' They're not messing around."

In November 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered Takata to announce a nationwide airbag recall.

Wrecks can make defective Takata airbags send sharp metal throughout the car. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said long-term exposure to high heat and humidity can cause the air bags to explode when deployed.

"Legally we can actually say it shoots like a grenade," Morton said.

Morton said the airbag has killed 44 people and injured hundreds.

"The more people are aware, the more hopefully they'll be conscious about it and save their own lives," Morton said. "We're trying to save a life one VIN number at a time."

Morton is trying to locate more than 3,400 models with faulty airbags throughout Louisville. He said if someone owns a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or RAM between the years of 2003 and 2015, they could be at risk.

"If you get a letter from a manufacturer saying that you have a recall on your part, please don't ignore it," said Frank Webb with Commonwealth Dodge RAM. "It's a very dangerous thing if you do so."

People can schedule a free recall repair.

"It's a simple safety thing. We want people to be safe," Webb said. "You want to guard against anything that could potentially hurt you or your family."

Some local dealerships may even come to a person's home to fix the issue.

"We're trying to accommodate as best we can to give the customer no excuse to not get it done," Morton said.

To learn more about the recall, click here.

To contact James Morton, Recall Specialist, call (502) 551-6354 or email jammorton@takataairbagrecall.org.

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