Australians have now made more than nine million vehicle checks on the automotive industry’s Takata Airbag recall website www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au.
Of these almost 1.5 million have been identified with airbag inflators affected by the national safety recall.
A faulty Takata airbag has the potential to seriously injure, or even kill, vehicle drivers and passengers.
“We are really pleased that vehicle owners have reached out in such strong numbers to check the status of their vehicles,” Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) chief executive, Mr Tony Weber, said.
“The nine million vehicle milestone represents more than half of the 17.8 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles on Australian roads.”
Mr Weber urged vehicle owners unsure of the recall status of their vehicles to visit the industry website or to text the word TAKATA to 0487 247 224. Vehicle owners could learn the status of their vehicles by simply entering the vehicle’s registration plate number and state or territory.
“The holiday season is fast approaching, and it’s the time of year when families travel long distances,” Mr Weber said.
“We urge vehicle owners to check the status of their vehicles before embarking on holiday travel. If their vehicle is affected by the recall, the owner should have their vehicle rectified as soon as possible. All rectification work is free.”
Mr Weber said the industry has rectified more than 2.4 million vehicles affected by the Takata airbag recall. A further 200,933 vehicles have been classified as unreplaceable. This represents the processing of more than 87 per cent of vehicles affected by the compulsory national recall.
The www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au website is an integral part of the automotive industry’s “Don’t Die Wondering” national advertising campaign in support of the recall. The campaign has made extensive use of national television, radio, print, cinema, digital and social media and non-English press advertising.