Car makers call for vital safety check

Car makers have called on vehicle owners to urgently check if their vehicles are affected by the Takata airbag recall saying they risked serious harm by failing to make a simple check.

The faulty Takata airbags have the potential to seriously injure or even kill vehicle drivers and passengers.

There have been 24 reported deaths and more than 300 reported injuries globally attributed to the faulty airbags.

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber said Australians had checked the recall status of more than seven million vehicles on the automotive industry's Takata Airbag recall website Is My Airbag Safe since it was launched in July 2018.

This had helped vehicle owners identify over one million vehicles that were affected by the recall and needed to be taken to dealerships for the replacement of faulty airbags.

"Our roads are busy with people travelling with their families," Mr Weber said.

"We plead with vehicle owners to urgently check the status of their vehicle. It's simple and free - just go to the website and enter your vehicle's registration plate number and state or territory."

"If your vehicle is affected, you can make arrangements with your vehicle brand's local dealership to have the faulty airbag replaced."

Mr Weber said car makers had replaced the airbags in more than two million vehicles. "The industry has made significant progress.

"But there are still approximately one million vehicles to be rectified. These vehicles are located throughout Australia.

"They are in every state and territory, every city, every regional town and every post code. They are fleet vehicles, business vehicles and family vehicles," Mr Weber said.

In addition to checking the status of their vehicles, Mr Weber said it was essential vehicle owners immediately followed-up any communication they received directly from their vehicle's manufacturer.

"Don't ignore the communication, don't put it to one side and don't forget to make a simple service booking."

This is sponsored content for Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.