Defective Takata airbags: more than 2,700 vehicles still affected in Guadeloupe

The day after confirmation of a new death in Guadeloupe linked to a defective Takata airbag on a Toyota Hilux vehicle, the brand's distributor in the archipelago indicated on Tuesday that more than 2,700 vehicles were still affected.

The Takata airbag scandal , which has rocked the automotive industry since 2014, has forced hundreds of thousands of vehicles to be grounded by numerous manufacturers in recent months to replace the equipment, which has caused more than ten deaths in France.

In Guadeloupe , the recall campaign is our "priority," Tristan de Reynal, Managing Director of CARMO SAS, distributor of the Toyota brand in the archipelago, told several media outlets on Tuesday, specifying that "2,742 vehicles" are "still affected" in Guadeloupe.

The vehicle involved in the latest accident recorded in Guadeloupe "was imported through another channel, outside the official distribution network," and therefore "(escaped) the traceability files of local distributors," he added.

Regarding the recall procedures , Tristan De Reynal specifies that "several letters were sent to the owners concerned but that "a significant number of these letters were returned with the note Does not live at the address indicated ."

To date, "96 owners cannot be reached, because the addresses known in the Siv (Vehicle Registration System, editor's note) are not correct, or the mail is not being collected by the recipients," he explains.

Tristan De Reynal claims that the distributor, with "1,823 airbags in stock," is "able to meet demand immediately" and has "the means to replace all remaining airbags."

The company also announced that it would hold a press conference on June 3 to "reach as many owners as possible" who were still affected.

The Chancellery has requested that all investigations into the consequences of these airbag failures, including those involving unintentional homicides, be brought to the Paris Interregional Specialized Jurisdiction (Jirs). Until Monday's announcement of a new victim linked to these Takata airbags, the Ministry of Transport had recorded 29 accidents resulting in 11 deaths overseas and one in mainland France.

Due to a gas that ages poorly, defective Takata airbags risk exploding, throwing parts into drivers' faces. Their degradation is accelerated in hot and humid climates.