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Received a notice in the mail today, informing me that Takata has filed bankruptcy.
"If your vehicle contains a defective or potentially defective airbag inflator and is under recall, contact your nearest dealership immidiately tonschwduke a free repair"
Well, I am sure we have all tried that just to be tokd that the parts are not availabke. With Takata now filing bankruptcy, how will the parts ever become available?
I am wondering why MBis not responsible to rectify this situation, as they have obviously purchased from Takata for the production runs of the vehicles?
I live in CA and am wondering if others in other states have received the same notice?
Any suggestions as to how to tackle this? I think I wilk contact MB of North America tomorrow and ask for resolution.
I also received the notice.
"If your vehicle ... ... immediately to schedule a free repair". A free repair using a qualified airbag inflator made by someone other than Takata?
Either to get rid of this car or to take a chance, live with it ...
I also received the notice.
"If your vehicle ... ... immediately to schedule a free repair". A free repair using a qualified airbag inflator made by someone other than Takata?
Either to get rid of this car or to take a chance, live with it ...
I don't agree with you, I am sorry. If there is a defect, the manufacturer must take care of it regardless and should be responsible as they choose to do business with Takata.
I build trains for a living, if there is a failure on a part which was procured by an outside supplier, do you think Amtrak contacts that supplier or tells us, the Locomotive manufacturer that we must rectify the situation?
I think you already know the answer, so MB is making their live a bit to easy by pushing the problem to their customers.
And getting rid of the car will only give the problem to someone else who could be harmed, how does that make things right?
Last edited by S70Houston; Nov 3, 2017 at 10:04 AM.
I totally agree with you S70Houston; My last sentence is not what I meant, just a vent. Yes, it's MB's problem not ours. I have received maybe three times of recall notice in mail saying contact dealers immediately. Every time dealer told me parts are not available whichever / wherever the dealer it is. I got disappointed and gradually forgot the recall.
Airbag recall aside, the car drives wonderfully, and I will drive it until it dies.
Takata filed for bancpruptcy, but did not go out of business. They were acquired. It's not like all of a sudden there will not be replacement parts. It is just that the situation is so widespread and so many car manufacturers used those air bags it will take a long time to make replacements. I saw something that by 2019 it could affect 120 million cars worldwide and 60 million in the US. Seeing as there are not a ton of air bag manufacturers out there, it will take a long time to make replacements. So, manufacturers will prioritize which ones would get replaced first, as the issue affects cars in high hight and humidity locations.much more than other climates. This will go on for several years. Even if you sell your car, good luck finding a different car you like that isn't affected the same way.
I got a letter a few days ago saying takata declared bankrupcy, and no repair will be offered as well.
I have no idea! Glad you brought it up, I was going to start a thread as well.
Post a copy of the letter if you can...I think you might have misread something. While waiting at the dealer for free car washes, I see and hear people coming in and out for airbag replacements.
Just spoke to MB USA and have received the following info:
- Even though Takata has filed Chapter 11, MB is still seeking the correct parts to take care of the issue, so the recall is still in affect and will be addressed accordingly. (But will take time)
- As stated by Alfadude below, there are many cars affected, and other brands are more affected than MB. I was challenged to pull up statistics about the recall and was informed that to date not a single MB has been affected, mostly Honda and Acura.
- MB will take care of the issue as soon as the parts from whichever manufacturer will be available.
- MB is not happy that these notices went out to customers, stating we should seek repair at a local dealer, but knowing that the parts are not available.
With all that said, I guess we all shall wait until MB has received the parts, either from whomever acquired Takata, or a new manufacturer.
My warranty is with MB, not Takata. I expect my dealer to handle this with no issue.
The recall I saw for my MB was actually with a ground wire that can break and cause the airbag to deploy. Said if I get an airbag warning to contact my dealer. I don't think this one is a real airbag issue and an MB issue... Could be wrong.
My warranty is with MB, not Takata. I expect my dealer to handle this with no issue.
The recall I saw for my MB was actually with a ground wire that can break and cause the airbag to deploy. Said if I get an airbag warning to contact my dealer. I don't think this one is a real airbag issue and an MB issue... Could be wrong.
Check and see based on your VIN if this is a Takata issue or not. As your car is a 2015, you most likely do not have the Takata Recall.
I agree, the MB dealer should be responsible and handle the situation. However, IF there are NO replacement parts available, MB cannot solve the issue as they do not manufacture air bags, as simple as that!
Received a letter today letting me know that we are now bumped to Priority 5, parts to be available in June 2018.
Previous letter stated Priority 4, and parts to be available by March 2018.
At this rate, I would imagine that our Airbag Issues will never get resolved!!!
Last edited by S70Houston; Feb 1, 2018 at 08:53 PM.
I received my letter back in January and am part of priority group 6 and they expect the drivers side airbag to be in stock by September 2018 and the passenger side to be in stock by March 2019.
I received my letter back in January and am part of priority group 6 and they expect the drivers side airbag to be in stock by September 2018 and the passenger side to be in stock by March 2019.
It seems to be getting better and better. N O T !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The whole Takata scenario is nuts. They alone used ammonium nitrate as the propellant for their airbags. When the problems with this design became known, they added a dessicant, hoping they could continue selling a modified form of the original A-M inflator. Will this work? No one knows, too soon to tell.
In the meantime, every replacement Takata air bag is an ammonium nitrate design with dessicant, so if you have one replaced you are part of the big experiment, congratulations. In fact current model new vehicle buyers are also getting Takata A-M-with dessicant inflators, so they are also unwitting test subjects.
You would think auto manufacturers who care about their customers would get a non-A-M replacement airbag to bring closure for this whole issue, but none are, it's cheaper to take the 'improved' Takata replacements than to have TRW or some other manufacturer make new units.
BTW, Takata's assets were purchased out of bankruptcy by a Chinese company, so who knows what ethics/concern for end user safety this new owner may have!
Surprisingly enough my recall notice only names the passenger airbag and I fell into Group 5 for May 2018 for a W204 C63.
Does anyone know how the passenger airbag is removed, specifically in a pre-facelift w204 c63 sedan? (Does that dash need to be removed or is it less involved?)
The reason I ask is that I have some squeaking coming from the dash and if MB is going to take most or all of it apart I was hoping to squeeze in a request for them to try to tighten up whatever might be in there that's squeaking if at all possible and I also have a few personal mods planned which involve working with the dashboard so I might postpone those until the airbag work is done.
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