The list of affected automakers involved in a nationwide air bag recall is growing. Now, 11 companies have said they're recalling vehicles to replace the faulty air bags.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the recall involves 33.8 million vehicles. The defective airbags have caused 6 deaths and more than 100 injuries. It could take years for auto companies to replace all the affected airbags.
Do you think you'd know if your vehicle was affected? WFMY News 2's Chad Silber spent the afternoon at a local gas station looking up vehicle identification numbers. He found two cars with recalls not connected with the Takata airbags but connected to other problems.
The owners had no idea. One was for a faulty seat belt, the other for a faulty transmission shift cable that could cause the car to roll away after it's put into park.
Even our parking lot wasn't immune. We checked cars in the WFMY News 2 parking lot and found two with recalls. One for a faulty airbag, the other for a faulty transmission similar to that car at the gas station.
You can find the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN under the driver's side windshield. Just put that combination of letters and numbers into a VIN lookup tool online and you'll find out if your vehicle is affected.
Keep in mind, some auto companies still haven't released the specific vehicles recalled so it could be days or even weeks before the full list is ready.
Something else we found today regarding the cost to replace a faulty airbag. They say it's free. And it is, but just to replace the airbag.
Consumer Reports says you could be charged for replacement parts damaged while performing the recall work. Parts like the airbag clock spring or plastic trim pieces are fragile and might not be covered by the recall.
Toyota is taking some drastic measures for affected vehicles. The company is suggesting drivers not allow front passengers until the airbag is replaced. It's also directing dealerships to disable the front passenger airbag to prevent it from going off.
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