Nearly 1,300 Vito, Viano and Valente models in the frame over airbags
With the mandatory Takata airbag recall effort well under way amongst commercial vehicles, Mercedes-Benz has identified 1,297 Vito, Viano and Valente vans in need of remedial attention.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has this month had oversight of the Takata safety action for a full year.
It reports that 1.8 million potentially deadly airbags still need replacing as part of a compulsory recall that will run until 2020.
Over the past 12 months, 1.1 million faulty Takata airbags have been replaced in around 930,000 affected passenger and commercial vehicles.
Read how Volkswagen is handling the Takata recall here
“Owners of affected vehicles should contact their local Mercedes-Benz Retailer or Mercedes-Benz head office directly via the website at https://www.dealerlocator.mercedes-benz.com.au to arrange for a replacement airbag inflator free of charge,” the recall notice reads.
“Consumers who are unsure whether they are affected can also use the Mercedes-Benz VIN look-up tool at https://recall.mercedes-benz.com.au or contact Mercedes-Benz on 1300 659 307 (between 8.30am and 5pm), or by emailing takata_au@daimler.com or contact their preferred dealer.
“We also recommend you visit https://www.productsafety.gov.au/newsletter/subscribe to subscribe to receive updates about current and future recalls as they are published.
The full VIN list can be found here.
ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard is warning motorists not to be complacent about having airbags replaced.
“Don’t ignore or delay responding to a letter or call from your car’s manufacturer asking you to have your airbag replaced. The airbags degrade over time and can become lethal by misdeploying and firing metal shards at the car’s occupants,” Rickard says.
According to the ACCC, the most dangerous airbags, known as “alpha” airbags, were fitted to about 115,000 cars, with around 19,500 still potentially on the roads. These airbags require urgent replacement and drivers should not drive cars containing these airbags until they have been fixed.
“Our greatest concern remains around the alpha airbags, which can still be found in almost 20,000 cars,” Rickard says.
“Make no mistake, these airbags can kill and our advice is for consumers to check our website to see if there car is affected by this recall. If your car contains an alpha airbag, it should not be driven.”
Manufacturers are working to determine where certain vehicles that may have the airbags are and if they are still on the road, with 145,261 to be confirmed and 4,693 already dealt with.
Further information for consumers is available here.