More Air Bag Recalls Expected for 5.1M Vehicles
Yet another round of Takata air bag inflator recalls will involve vehicles from several automakers, including Ford, Toyota and Honda.

Photo courtesy of NHTSA.

Photo courtesy of NHTSA.
In the wake of another death linked to an exploding Takata air bag inflator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on its website that more safety recalls affecting an estimated 5.1 million vehicles are on the way.
The driver death, which occurred Dec. 22 in a 2006 model-year Ford Ranger in South Carolina, is the ninth fatality in the U.S. tied to defective air bag inflators manufactured by Takata Corp.
Another fatality occurred in Malaysia in 2014. An exploding air bag inflator in an August fatal crash in India is also under investigation.
The future recalls in the U.S. will involve two different types of air bag inflators: SDI model inflators for driver-side frontal air bag modules installed in certain Audi, Ford, Mazda, Sprinter and Volkswagen vehicles; and PSDI-5 model inflators for air bag modules installed in certain Audi, BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, Toyota and Volkswagen vehicles, according to NHTSA.
The Takata SDI driver-side air bag inflators at issue were manufactured from Jan. 1, 2002, through the end of the production cycle for 2014 model-year vehicles, NHTSA reported. Air bags with these inflators were installed as original or replacement equipment in an estimated 1.2 million vehicles in the U.S.
The Takata PSDI-5 air bag inflators were manufactured from Jan. 1, 2003, through the end of the production cycle for 2014-MY vehicles. Air bags with these inflators were installed as original or replacement equipment in 3.9 million vehicles. Toyota has already launched a recall campaign to address these defective inflators. Additionally, inflators installed as part of a previous recall aren’t affected, NHTSA reported.
To facilitate the upcoming recalls, Takata Corp. has declared both of these types of air bag inflators defective.
“Takata will be working with vehicle manufacturers to identify into which vehicles the affected inflators were installed either as original or replacement equipment during service,” NHTSA said. “As this work progresses, numerous vehicle recalls will likely be announced by the impacted vehicle manufacturers. NHTSA will supply this information as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. has already expanded its recall of Takata-made air bag inflators in response to the reported death in the 2006 Ford Ranger. The automaker is recalling an additional 361,692 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks in the U.S. so the defective SDI driver-side air bag inflators can be replaced at no cost to affected vehicle owners.
Previous Takata air bag inflator recalls in the U.S. have affected about 19 million vehicles made by 12 different vehicle manufacturers, according to NHTSA. During air bag deployment, the defective inflators have the potential to explode and disperse shrapnel inside the vehicle.
More Safety

Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset
Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.
Read More →
Don't Wait for a Crisis: 5 Ways to Build Mental Health Into Your Fleet Safety Program
For Suicide Prevention Month, fleet and safety leaders have an opportunity to put mental health where it belongs: at the center of workplace safety.
Read More →
How Camera Data Can Strengthen a Fleet’s Insurance Renewal
Insights from a commercial insurance carrier and a broker show how fleets can turn video telematic data, driver coaching, and improved claims results into a stronger case at insurance renewal.
Read More →
The Safest Fleets Aren’t the Ones with the Most Technology
You’ve made the telematics investment. Here’s how to capture the other half of its value and build the safest fleet on the road.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
NETS Sets 2026 Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference for Indianapolis
The Sept. 15–17 program will feature fleet benchmarking data, case studies, emerging technologies, and implementation strategies while running alongside the NSC Safety Congress & Expo.
Read More →
Off-the-Job Crashes Account for 43% of Employers’ $61.7 Billion Crash Burden
NETS quantifies costs dispersed across fleet, risk, HR, and other departments while providing new per-crash benchmarks for employers.
Read More →
Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue
The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.
Read More →How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%
Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.
Read More →
Operation Safe Driver Week: Why the Industry's Oldest Safety Campaign Still Matters to Fleets
A look at how a 2007 enforcement initiative became one of the most consequential weeks on the fleet safety calendar, and what it means for your drivers in 2026.
Read More →