Takata Update:

"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
04/14/2016 at 13:58 • Filed to: Takata, recall

As a GM and Subaru dealer employee, especially since I am in the parts department, I have to deal with many !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! questions. Most of them from confused customers wondering why it is taking to long to get their parts.

I.E.

Cust: I got a letter saying the parts were going to be a while to get, but I haven’t heard anything back yet

Me: Yes Sir/Mam, did you call us and set up an order when you recived the letter?

Cust: What? No the letter said I was on the list to get one. I have been waiting.

Me: Well actually it stated you would need to contact the dealer to initate an order for your vehicle. We can do that today, but I must inform you they take 1-2 months to recieve as we are not a high humidity state and they are very heavily backordered.

Cust: Oh, well thank you very much

(Proceed to get customer info and create order)

Here is what one of the Subaru letter looks like:

Recall Letter for 04-05 WRX/STI

Do you see the BIG BOLD BOX ? The one telling you what you need to do. The one that is on every version of this letter!!! You have to contact your dealer. The other part of this is that most of these confused people think we send out the letters. That is not the case. The manufacture sends them, because they have the affected vehicles lists and thus the DMV information to mail the letters to the current registered owners. Also if you received some letter about a recall, why assume that your now local dealer would have it on order for you? How would Subaru be able to know which dealer you like the most? Maybe you prefer the one across town. Maybe you just vacation here and it is registered here, but you take it home with you for major services. They don’t know this, we don’t know all the affected vehicles and the multiple letters you have received have all told you to “contact your Subaru retailer (dealer) for an appointment to have the front passenger airbag inflator replaced with a new one.” So do people just not read this very important document about a SAFETY RECALL on their vehicle?

Do you see why I don’t understand why people are confused about this? I swear I answer at least 4 of these calls a day. Which just puts them at the end of our almost 200 customer order list for these inflators.

Which brings me to another point. The passenger air bag recall is actually due to the inflator. This is because the accelerant contained in the inflator degrades over time and eats away and the metal canister, making it unable to contain the explosion and ruptures when activated. This means the fix for the recall is to replace the inflator and the airbag stays in the vehicle. Just a new canister on the passenger.

Passenger Inflator

Completely separate from the airbag its self and is replaced as such. Now this is for the passenger airbag recall. As far as I know, there are no driver airbag recalls, because that system is a completely different setup.

Diver Airbag without and with inflator attached

I just thought everyone who was affected by these recalls may be interested in some more in depth information and I needed to vent a little bit.

EDIT: Apparently there are some driver side inflators being recalled too, but I can’t find any info on one side more than the other.

DISCUSSION (15)

Autohaus Derp > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 14:09

Thanks for sharing, very insightful

Just to add, in my case (mustang) is for the driver’s airbag inflator only

Justin Hughes > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 14:09

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing!

And yeah, as a technical writer of software documentation for my day job, it’s amazing how many people don’t RTFM.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Autohaus Derp
04/14/2016 at 14:13

Interesting, I will update my article.

ttyymmnn > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 14:16

Thanks for this. I’ve had my 2003 Odyssey in twice for airbag recalls, the second one just a few weeks ago. It can get a little confusing as to what, exactly, they are repairing/replacing.

CaptDale - is secretly British > ttyymmnn
04/14/2016 at 14:22

No problem. I find most customers are not fully informed on their recall repairs, which is a fault on both sides.

jimz > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 14:24

This is because the accelerant contained in the inflator degrades over time and eats away and the metal canister, making it unable to contain the explosion and ruptures when activated.

The propellant is de-stabilized by moisture, and burns too rapidly (or just detonates) which bursts the canister.

As far as I know, there are no driver airbag recalls, because that system is a completely different setup.

Maybe not for the vehicles you service, but the Mustang is one with a recall on the driver airbag inflator.

CaptDale - is secretly British > jimz
04/14/2016 at 14:43

I had read something it was actually eating away at the canister, but either way.

And yes, I edited my article to include that drivers sides are being recalled too.

Steve in Manhattan > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 14:47

I cannot imagine what I would do if I had a car so equipped. Take out the fuse and risk my life? Leave it in and risk my life? This is like Detroit’s water supply - it never should have happened in the first place, and it needs to be corrected now.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Steve in Manhattan
04/14/2016 at 14:52

I can not advise taking out the fuse, nor would any manufacture, but at least with Subaru (not sure other manufactures) if the customer feels unsafe driving their vehicle, Subaru will put them in a rental until the time that the vehicle can be repaired.

Steve in Manhattan > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 15:10

That’s a standup car company.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > CaptDale - is secretly British
04/14/2016 at 15:11

Yeah, it’s never made clear on Jalopnik or anywhere that inflators and bags are two different parts. Frustrating as an engineer.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Steve in Manhattan
04/14/2016 at 15:12

You mean Flint, Detroit’s water is excellent.

Seeing as the failure rate is low, I’d risk it instead of smashing my head into the steering wheel or something

CaptDale - is secretly British > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
04/14/2016 at 15:13

Frustrating in general trying to explain it to people when they are adamant that it is the bag.... That’s why I went ahead are shared that little tid bit of info.

Steve in Manhattan > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
04/14/2016 at 15:14

Yes, Flint. Mixed up the supplier with the supplied.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Steve in Manhattan
04/14/2016 at 15:14

I thought so. Some cars we have had in rentals for over a month. They will pay for them in the end.