Australians have checked the status of more than 4.55 million* vehicles on the automotive industry’s Takata Airbag recall website www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au since it was launched in late July 2018.
Since the Takata Airbag recall has become mandatory, the FCAI’s data shows that over 330,000 vehicles have been rectified in the three months to 1 October 2018. This equates to more than 5,100 every working day.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Chief Executive Tony Weber said the website had been able to advise over 663,000 motorists that their vehicle was affected by the Takata Airbag recall.
The website launch complements a national advertising campaign including television, radio, print and social media. This campaign communicates the message “Don’t die wondering” and is coordinated by the FCAI on behalf of the vehicle brands involved in the recall.
“This is a tremendous response rate to the campaign,” Mr Weber said. “We are getting the message across to Australian motorists, but we have much more still to do. We are determined to reach out to vehicle owners throughout Australia as we strive to identify the owners of all vehicles affected by this recall.”
The FCAI’s website and campaign, as part of the Australian Government’s mandatory recall, builds on the strong results already achieved through voluntary recalls by individual vehicle brands.
The FCAI and its members are actively cooperating with the Australian Government’s mandatory recall. The website and the Don’t die wondering advertising campaign has further raised awareness and simplified the process of checking individual vehicle status.
”The priority that the industry places on safety is reflected in our extensive national advertising campaign, and the fact that we are replacing, on average, over 5,000 affected airbags every working day.”
“We implore all vehicle owners to urgently check the status of their vehicle. It is very easy – simply go to the website and enter your vehicle’s registration plate number and state or territory.”
“If your vehicle is affected, you can make arrangements with your brand’s local dealer to have the faulty airbag replaced” Mr Weber added.
In addition to the strong call to action, it is essential that motorists immediately follow up on any communication that they receive directly from their vehicle’s manufacturer.
“Any person who receives a call, letter, email or SMS from their vehicle’s manufacturer should respond immediately and follow the instructions” Mr Weber said.
“Our message is simple – Don’t die wondering!” Mr Weber added.
For more information, contact:
Leigh Obradovic,
Director, Policy
FCAI
02 6229 8216 / 0438 274 833
[email protected]
* website numbers as of 29 October 2018