Written By Lisa Murimi
The COMESA Competition Commission has issued a warning to car owners regarding faulty airbags in over 20 popular car brands.
According to the advisory, the defective airbags have led to fatalities and injuries globally.
The affected vehicles, driven in COMESA member states including Kenya, were manufactured between 2002 and 2015.
“The COMESA Competition Commission wishes to alert consumers of numerous recalls in different countries, of vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbag inflators,” the advisory stated. “The faulty airbags have been linked to 22 deaths and more than 180 known injuries.”
The Commission explained that the inflator’s body could rupture over time, especially after prolonged exposure to humidity or high temperatures.
This defect has prompted the recall of over 100 million Takata airbag inflators worldwide.
Car owners are urged to check if their vehicles are among those affected by the recalls. Information on recalls can be found on the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website at www.nhtsa.gov/recalls.
“The Commission wishes to alert consumers in the COMESA Region of the ongoing developments regarding the Takata airbags, for their information, since there is high importation of used cars in the Region. Affected persons within the Common Market may also contact their national consumer protection institutions,” the statement added.
In Kenya, the Kenya Bureau of Standards has not yet issued an advisory on the recalls and affected vehicles.
