This Forever Ongoing Takata Thing is Starting to Make Me Wonder

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
04/14/2016 at 11:50 • Filed to: None

Do I have a Takata claymore aimed at my face/my passenger’s face?

Not my interior, but my steering wheel. Too much “wood” for my tastes.

E36s haven’t been marked yet, but nothing from the 90s has. Unless there was some advancement in airbags in the year 2000 and that’s what causing Takata’s issues (doubtful). Or cars from the 90s are just old enough that whatever agency is in charge of this just doesn’t care. I’m guessing the latter, especially since 2000MY E46s are affected but not 1999MY.

E46

E36

The only reason I wonder if mine is affected (Outside of basically every BMW post-2000/pre-currently being affected) is because the steering wheel in early E46s bear a huge resemblance to the late E36 steering wheel. The only difference I see is the wheel-mounted controls.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid? I don’t like the idea of getting in a minor accident and dying because I’ve been repeatedly stabbed in the face and neck with bits of metal.

Thinking about getting into accidents in general is scary, but with the amount of people I see nowadays on their phones and eating while driving I feel like I have to.

DISCUSSION (30)

spanfucker retire bitch > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 11:54

I know for a fact I do. My 2013 Mazda3 isn’t on the recall list, but I know Mazda used takata during those years, and if that expanded recall ends up coming to fruition, I’m pretty sure my car would have to be included in that list.

Tripper > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 11:55

I just recently had the takata bags replaced in the E46. Prior to that I drove it daily for 6 years and no face explody.

Perhaps you can get the part number of the airbag and compare it against those being recalled?

Takuro Spirit > spanfucker retire bitch
04/14/2016 at 11:55

I read somewhere (maybe the FP) that Mazda is one of the manufacturers that will tell you who made the airbag in your car, if asked. I wonder too about my 2004, because the 6, RX-8, and trucks from that year were recalled.

adamftw > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 11:58

My airbags don’t even work! Jokes on all of you people driving “safe” cars!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > spanfucker retire bitch
04/14/2016 at 11:58

That’s weird that Mazda used them in all their cars at that time but only some are on the list.

Party-vi > Tripper
04/14/2016 at 11:58

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR DRIVER REPLACED ALREADY!?!?!?!

My dealer has already replace the passenger bag, but has no update for my sport/M3 steering wheel airbag replacement.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > adamftw
04/14/2016 at 11:59

I’m pretty sure the one in my ‘94 Safari doesn’t work.. Not that the airbag would save you from that soda can that folds in half in an accident.

Stapleface > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 12:00

Weren’t airbags redesigned in the early oughts to be reduced power? Maybe the defect is with the redesigned bags only?

I’m curious about replacement airbags. What if you had a vehicle that wasn’t recalled, but the replacement part was a takata bag that was recalled? Will you ever get the notice?

spanfucker retire bitch > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 12:00

It’s my understanding they kept the recalls down by not issuing to those in areas of the country that aren’t as humid.

It’s true that WNY is no Florida, but our summers are anything but dry.

spanfucker retire bitch > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 12:03

But if it did work, your head would be safely cushioned from impact as the rest of your body is sheared from the neck down.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Stapleface
04/14/2016 at 12:04

Is the early 00s when they went to that “two stage” system or whatever it’s called? Maybe those are the affected ones?

Hell, even if my car was recalled I wonder if I’d get a notice. I’m the 8th owner so I doubt the letter would ever get to my house.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > spanfucker retire bitch
04/14/2016 at 12:05

I could just live out the rest of my life as one of the head in a jar things like in Futurama.

Mya Byrne > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 12:11

Kinja'd!!!

I have one of the last E30s built without airbags. At the time (late 90s) when I got it I was still paranoid abt airbags, esp bc my mom and I both have glasses..her car at the time was a ‘94 Passat, the last without airbags. She drove that til ‘10 or so, I still drive the E30 as my DD but have been contemplating an E36 and am having the same fear. Like what’s safer? A ‘96 318ti or a with dual front airbags that no one seems to know about, or my thirty-year-old roadster? Ugh.

Tripper > Party-vi
04/14/2016 at 12:13

I’m not sure exactly, it was kind of a fiasco when I had it at the dealer. It was there for a week, then the called to tell me to pick it up. I went to pick it up, they said they still had to do the drivers bag and asked If I could leave it for a few more days, so I did.

Knowing this dealer, I wouldn’t be surprised if they installed whoopee cushions instead of air bags. I have an appt next month with a new inde BMW guy and I’m going to ask him to make sure that the dealer did what they were supposed to.

Textured Soy Protein > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 12:21

The official NHTSA Takata airbag recall list says 2001-2013 M3.

finn's arm > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 12:22

We’re both going to get shrapnel’d from our ‘99MY E36's

jariten1781 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 12:28

Problem is that they have no clue what the root cause is. They’ve nailed it down to three proximate causes (propellant, construction, heat/humidity) but they weren’t able to get any further and have no clue what combination it takes to actually cause the failure. Orbital ATK did an independent analysis and came to the same conclusion: those three things cause it, it’s impossible to know what combination of the three will cause it to fail on any individual bag. I don’t think they’re going to get much further than that hence the ungodly huge recall since everything is considered suspect. Older cars are likely not investigated because the requirement is 10 years.

I wouldn't be overly concerned though. Failure rate is ~0.4%. Not all the failures lead to death or injury. NHTSA estimates ~2300 deaths saved by airbags per year and deaths caused by Takata's bunk pieces are 11 over all years. If it is a concern to you just unplug it, but that's likely less safe than just leaving it in there.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 13:05

It isn’t the airbag its self that is being recalled, it’s the inflator for the airbag. Specifically the canister type on the passenger side. The airbag its self is “safe” and not being replaced. Hence why all the recalled vehicles I am aware of are just the passenger side. The drives side enclosed airbag/horn assemblies use an altogether different type of inflator.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 13:06

The recalls are sent to the owners by registration, not by purchaser. They know the vins affected, check current registration and send said letters out.

TheHondaBro > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 13:07

The recall sort of went around my car. Basically the only reason my car wasn’t affected by the recall was because 2003-2005MY V6 Accords apparently don’t have claymore airbags.

Yes, I’m still nervous as fuck. A good reason to get rid of the thing quickly, I guess.

Klaus Schmoll > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 13:21

There’s also another problem. The first airbags were originally designed to last 15 years, and then they should be replaced or something. They just didn’t think beyond those 15 years. So chances are that your airbags will not do anything at all, or work fine, or just pop for no reason whatsoever, or.... It’s another variable that adds uncertainty besides the Takata thing.

facw > spanfucker retire bitch
04/14/2016 at 14:05

I’ve never understood the humidity thing. I mean cars move. I can understand prioritizing based on it, but there are northern cars in the hot, humid south, and cars that have been exposed to that humidity for years that now live in the north. Given that recall contact info tends to be spotty anyway, trying to geographically limit it before even contact the owner seems foolish.

facw > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 14:08

Many drivers bags are getting recalled as well. And presumably the poor young woman who was killed by airbag shrapnel a week or two ago got it from the driver airbag.

CaptDale - is secretly British > facw
04/14/2016 at 14:10

Hmm, well could also be from passenger sides too, but I was unaware of drivers sides being recalled

facw > Mya Byrne
04/14/2016 at 14:11

The newer car is unquestionably safer. Even with the claymore airbags, they save more lives tan they take. Of course even if you unplugged the airbags, the E36 is still likely a safer vehicle simply due to improved design.

facw > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 14:12

Yeah, it’s both sides though I do think there are more passenger ones than driver’s side, and I think the passenger ones got recalled first in many cases.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > finn's arm
04/14/2016 at 14:55

Mine’s a ‘98 but the point still stands.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > TheHondaBro
04/14/2016 at 14:58

I would most definitely be since Honda is the biggest risk.

More of a reason for the SC!

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/14/2016 at 15:24

Iirc my 99 e36 coupe had an Autoliv inflator.

But either way, even if takata makes the airbag, that doesn’t mean it has their inflator

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > TheHondaBro
04/14/2016 at 15:25

Why? Like someone else said, the failure rate is only like 0.4%