Additional manufacturers detail Takata-affected models

IN THE wake of the federal government’s mandatory recall of Takata-braded airbags, manufacturers including Ford, Audi and Tesla have now detailed the models that need to be called back for an airbag replacement.

Ford has revealed it has four vehicles affected by the recall, including the Mondeo mid-sizer, Ranger pick-up, and the now-discontinued Econovan and Courier ute.

The largest number of recalls relates to the Ranger, namely the PK Ranger built between September 2006 and August 2011, of which 69,363 examples require a call back for the driver and/or passenger bag.

There are 21,795 examples of the Courier ute that preceded the Ranger, built between February 2004 and September 2006, requiring a replacement of the driver’s airbag.

The Econovan, built from February 2004 to October 2005, also requires a callback, with 1300 vehicles requiring a replacement of their driver’s airbag.

A total of 92,458 Ford vehicles have been recorded, while an unspecified number of Mondeo mid-sizers built between 2007-09 and 2015-17 have also been added to the list.

None of the affected models contain the ‘alpha’ airbag inflators that come with the highest risk of explosion upon deployment, while a full VIN list for the Ranger, Courier and Econovan is available on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) product safety website.

Audi has also released a list of models caught in the recall.

Passenger models include 13,119 examples of the A3 from 2006-13, 8345 of the A4 from 2005-08, 473 of the drop-top A4 Cabriolet from 2007-09, 3315 of the A5 from 2010-11, and 4117 units of the A6 from 2005-11.

Other affected models include the Q5 SUV from 2009-12 with 9244 examples, the TT sportscar from 2016-17 with 1305 and 128 of the flagship R8 coupe, also from 2016-17.

Audi’s 40,106 impacted vehicles do not contain ‘alpha’ bags, and the brand will contact owners to let them know when to visit their preferred dealer for a swap of the affected bags.

Electric car-maker Tesla will be forced to recall examples of its Model S sedan from 2014-16, however the manufacturer has not provided exact number for the affected vehicles.

The recalls can be expected to be carried out gradually over the course of the next three years, with the government mandating that the replacements be carried out by the end of 2020.

Other manufacturers including GM Holden, Volkswagen, Skoda, Jaguar and Land Rover have already announced which of their vehicles require recalls.

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific has confirmed with GoAuto that it has filed its list of affected models with the ACCC and they will be made available on the recalls website shortly.