CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than 6 million vehicles in the U.S. still have dangerous, recalled airbags, according to new data from CARFAX.
These potentially deadly Takata airbags were recalled a decade ago because they can launch pieces of metal like shrapnel when deployed. They can become more dangerous in states like North Carolina and South Carolina, where they're exposed to heat and humidity, which can cause them to inflate even more explosively.
So far, 27 people in the U.S. have lost their lives and at least 400 have been injured due to the faulty airbags.
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"These cars date all the way back to 2001, 2002," Patrick Olsen, CARFAX's editor-in-chief, said. "They are on their second, third, fourth owner. They may have started in Minnesota and are now in Florida. So, it's really hard for automakers to track down these drivers."
North Carolina still has more than 216,000 of these vehicles. Olsen said about one-third of them are in the Charlotte area. That equates to around 70,000 cars with potentially dangerous airbags.
What owners can do
Car owners can search their Vehicle Identification Number — the VIN — on nhts.gov/recalls or the SaferCar app. These tools will share details of any open safety recalls on that car in the past 15 years. The VIN can be found on the dashboard in front of the steering wheel, right above where it meets the windshield. It's also listed on a sticker inside the door jamb on the driver's side.
If there's an unrepaired safety recall, the manufacturer must fix it for free. You can also sign up for emailed recall alerts on your car so you don't miss future alerts.
Just last week, Nissan issued a Do Not Drive warning for about 84,000 older Sentras, Pathfinders and Infiniti QX4 SUVs because of unrepaired airbags.
Owners can find out if their vehicles are affected by going to nissanusa.com/takata-airbag-recall or infinitiusa.com/takata-airbag-recall and keying in their 17-digit VIN.
WCNC Charlotte's news partner WTSP-TV contributed to this report.
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