Cayman’s Department of Vehicles’ and Drivers’ Licensing is pushing for urgent action from car dealerships to identify defective airbags that could result in serious injuries and fatalities.
The department will not licence vehicles with defective Takata airbags, currently subject to a worldwide recall, unless the owner can prove the airbag has been replaced. This will require documentation from dealerships.
The DVDL, in a statement issued on Thursday, said vehicles in Cayman that are identified as “potentially hazardous due to defective airbags” will not be licensed until proof is provided by dealerships that the airbags have been replaced.
It called on all car dealerships in Cayman to help track down vehicles with the faulty airbags, manufactured by Japanese automotive parts supplier Takata.
The airbags were installed in many car models, mostly from 2002 to 2015, affecting vehicles manufactured by Honda, Toyota, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, BMW and Volkswagen, among others.
Approximately 100 million Takata airbag inflators are being recalled because the airbags can explode when deployed, even in minor collisions, causing serious injury or death. According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, defective Takata airbags that exploded have killed 27 people in the United States.
Earlier this week, car manufacturer Nissan issued a ‘Do Not Drive’ warning to the owners of some 84,000 of their vehicles with the airbags. Similar warnings have also been issued by Honda, Ford, BMW, Toyota, Stellantis and Mazda.
Immediate action needed
In Cayman, the DVDL called on all car dealerships across Grand Cayman to take “immediate action to address this significant safety concern”.
It said dealerships are required to:
- Identify affected vehicles: Utilise provided lists and databases to identify vehicles in their inventory or customer base that are equipped with the defective Takata airbag inflators.
- Contact customers: Notify owners of the affected vehicles about the recall, providing clear instructions on the inspection and replacement process.
- Repair and document: Ensure prompt and accurate repairs according to manufacturer specifications, and maintain detailed records of all inspections and replacements.
The DVDL said it would provide ongoing updates and support to individual dealerships, and will not issue a licence to any vehicle with the defective airbags.
In the release, the DVDL said it was updating its roadworthiness inspection procedures to write off vehicles with compromised safety components, to ensure they do not pose a risk on the roads.
It advised drivers to contact their dealership immediately to determine if their vehicle is affected by the recall, and make arrangements for a replacement of the faulty airbag inflator as soon as possible.
“The swift and thorough cooperation of dealerships and vehicle owners is crucial to eliminating the threat posed by these defective airbags and ensuring the safety of our community,” the DVDL stated.
Roy Bush, the DVDL’s supervisor of vehicle inspections, told the Compass that only the authorised dealerships could carry out the airbag replacement, and the work could not be done by other garages.
He added that any vehicles subject to the airbag recall that did not have necessary paperwork attesting that the airbag had been replaced would fail inspection at the DVDL and would not be licensed to drive on local roads.
Free replacements
The recall has been going on for several years, with local dealerships in Cayman, such as Vampt Motors and Car City, carrying out Takata airbag replacements for free.
Tara Hauck, marketing coordinator at Vampt, a Toyota and Ford dealership, told the Compass Thursday that the company had replaced faulty airbags in 64% of affected Ford and Toyota vehicles on island.
Vampt, on its website, has a blog dealing with the issue, titled ‘Fix It, Don’t Risk It’, outlining the process of getting a potentially defective airbag replaced.
Hauck said one of the challenges to replacing every airbag is vehicles sold on the ‘grey’ market, that are brought onto the island privately or by non-dealership companies, so the dealerships aren’t aware of their existence.
She said the move by the government and the DVDL to take the step of refusing to license vehicles that do not have a clearance letter from a dealership will be a major help in ensuring that defective airbags are replaced.
At Vampt, she explained, anyone who owns a Toyota or Ford can simply contact the dealership, give it the VIN of the vehicle, and a quick check will establish if that car is subject to the airbag recall.
For more information on the recall, visit the DVDL website.
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