Over 2,600 Cars in Mauritius Face Takata Airbag Recall

A large-scale recall campaign is underway for vehicles equipped with Takata airbags, which are found in several car brands. In Mauritius, more than 2,600 BMWs are affected. Other brands on the list include Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Jaguar.

The problem stems from an unstable chemical propellant used in these airbags, which can explode during an accident.

While airbags are designed to save lives, in this case, they could cause serious harm. Globally, over 45 deaths have been linked to sudden explosions of the airbag inflators.

The risk is higher in hot and humid regions like Mauritius, where the nitrate ammonium-based gas inside the airbags deteriorates faster.

The affected brands also include Volkswagen, Citroën, and Ford.

Check Your Airbag

In a statement issued on August, the National Land Transport Authority (NLTA) urged all owners of vehicles manufactured between 2001 and 2016 to check if their vehicle is equipped with a Takata airbag. 

So far, about 2,600 risky vehicles have been identified, with nearly 800 already repaired. This means many dangerous vehicles are still on the road. Car dealers advise owners to check their vehicle’s chassis number (VIN) and schedule repairs quickly if their car is affected.

Online tools are available through dealers like Axess and EAL Man Hin & Sons to help owners verify whether their vehicle is at risk. Repairs are free of charge.

However, owners of imported or second-hand cars should be especially cautious, as these vehicles might not be listed in local databases.

In France, authorities recently ordered the immobilization of 800,000 vehicles, bringing the total number of banned cars in high-risk zones—including overseas territories and tropical regions—to 1.7 million.

Source: Defi Media