6.4M cars have defective airbags a decade after initial recall

(NewsNation) — More than 6 million cars on United States roads have a dangerous, potentially deadly piece of equipment inside.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalled Takata airbags nationwide in 2014 because of the risk they pose for bodily harm and potential death. Ten years later, around 6.4 million cars still have them, according to research from Carfax.

Takata airbag dangers

Takata airbag inflators have an increased risk of exploding in a crash and hurling dangerous metal fragments at the driver and passengers.

The equipment has killed 27 and injured at least 400, according to NHTSA.

More than 40% of the unfixed vehicles are located in what the NHTSA categorizes as "Zone A" states — the hottest states in terms of temperature and humidity — as that's where the defective airbags pose "the highest threat to safety." Zone A includes Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas.

"The data collected and examined by NHTSA shows that long-term exposure to combined high heat and humidity creates the risk that a Takata air bag will explode," the NHTSA writes in its recall overview.

Unfixed Takata airbags by state

• Texas: 788,000
• California: 739,000
• Florida: 305,000
• North Carolina: 216,000
• Ohio: 209,000
• New York: 206,000
• Pennsylvania: 204,000
• Tennessee: 202,000
• Arizona: 201,000
• Georgia: 195,000
• Illinois: 167,000
• Michigan: 164,000
• Indiana: 154,000
• Alabama: 151,000

"Because not every Takata airbag poses the same level of risk, recall priority was given to vehicles with a higher chance of deployment, targeting regions of the U.S. that are hotter and more humid than other areas," according to Carfax.

Cars in Takata airbag recall

Vehicles from 19 manufacturers have been recalled. Impacted vehicles include Acura, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Honda and Mazda models released between 2001 and 2015.

A full list of car models with Takata airbags involved in the recall can be found at Carfax.