Teenage girl is killed by exploding Takata air bag in tenth U.S. death linked to defect that prompted worldwide recall 

  • A 17-year-old driver of a recalled 2002 Honda Civic was killed last month after a Takata Corp air bag ruptured during a rear-end crash
  • The Takata airbags have been found to rupture and send shrapnel into people 
  • It's the 10th U.S. death linked to a defect that has prompted recalls of tens of millions of vehicles worldwide
  • The latest death took place on March 31 in Fort Bend County, Texas
  • Honda said the owner had been mailed multiple recall notices about the five-year-old recall effort, but repairs were never made

By Associated Press

Published: 17:10 EST, 6 April 2016 | Updated: 19:46 EST, 6 April 2016

An exploding Takata air bag has claimed another life, this time a 17-year-old girl whose car crashed near Houston.

The girl is the latest victim of malfunctioning air bag inflators that have killed 10 people in the U.S. and another in Malaysia, touching off the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. 

More than 100 people have been hurt by the inflators, which can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and sending shards into drivers and passengers.

The girl, from Richmond, Texas, was driving a 2002 Honda Civic in Fort Bend County, Texas, when the car rear-ended another vehicle and the air bags went off, said Sheriff's Deputy Danny Beckworth, who investigated the crash.

Shrapnel hit the girl's neck, killing her, said Beckworth, who has not yet determined how fast her car was going.

Tenth death: Another person has been killed by an exploding air bag made by Takata Corp. An unidentified 17-year-old girl from Texas is the latest victim of the malfunctioning air bag inflators

Tenth death: Another person has been killed by an exploding air bag made by Takata Corp. An unidentified 17-year-old girl from Texas is the latest victim of the malfunctioning air bag inflators

Deadly design: The girl in this latest accident was driving a 2002 Honda Civic in Texas when the car crashed and the air bag exploded, killing her. Above, the American headquarters of automotive parts supplier Takata

Deadly design: The girl in this latest accident was driving a 2002 Honda Civic in Texas when the car crashed and the air bag exploded, killing her. Above, the American headquarters of automotive parts supplier Takata

The crash, Beckworth said, was 'moderate' and wouldn't have caused any serious injuries if not for the air bag. 

'Everybody would have walked away,' he said.

So far 14 automakers have recalled 24 million U.S. vehicles to replace the inflators, which are powered by the chemical ammonium nitrate. Scientists hired by a consortium of automakers have determined that prolonged exposure to airborne moisture and high temperatures can cause the chemical to deteriorate. The inflator canisters also can allow moisture to enter in areas with extreme humidity.

Completion of the recall repairs have been slowed by a lack of replacement parts. Takata and Honda have recruited other manufacturers to make replacement inflators, but still, only 7.5 million, or about 27 percent of the 28.8 million recalled inflators have been replaced.

The girl's family bought the Civic as a used car, but the date of the sale is not clear, Beckworth said. 

He said the family was not aware of the recall before the crash.

Known problem: Last June, ranking Member Bill Nelson, D-Fla. spoke about defective air bags during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing

Known problem: Last June, ranking Member Bill Nelson, D-Fla. spoke about defective air bags during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing

Killer piece: Mr Nelson showed how shrapnel from a defective air bag mechanism was able to kill several drivers when they were involved in car crashes

Killer piece: Mr Nelson showed how shrapnel from a defective air bag mechanism was able to kill several drivers when they were involved in car crashes

Evidence: Since 2008, 14 automakers have recalled 24 million vehicles to replace the inflators, which can rupture in a crash, shooting metal shards at the driver and passengers

Evidence: Since 2008, 14 automakers have recalled 24 million vehicles to replace the inflators, which can rupture in a crash, shooting metal shards at the driver and passengers

The Civic was first recalled in 2011, but despite six recall notices, repairs were never completed, the agency said. Honda said in a statement that it mailed multiple notices to several registered owners.

But Bryan Thomas, a spokesman for the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said automakers need to do more to reach car owners than relying on mailed notices. 'Automakers need to get creative and more aggressive about how they're reaching these vehicle owners,' he said, adding that the agency plans to 'get louder' in its calls for a higher recall completion rate.

Honda has the best completion rate of the 14 automakers with vehicles in the Takata recalls, Thomas said. The company has been using social media and other means to reach out to owners. Honda says replacement parts are now available for inflator recalls announced before this year.

NHTSA has taken over management of the recalls to make sure replacement inflators get to high-humidity areas along the Gulf Coast first.

Texas authorities notified NHTSA of the crash on Friday, and investigators inspected the car Wednesday, according to the agency.

NHTSA says the crash shows how important it is for people to get Takata recall repairs made as quickly as possible.

Car owners can go to www.safercar.gov and key in their vehicle identification number to check for any unrepaired recalls.

DEADLY DESIGN: THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED

A 17-year-old girl in Texas is the 11th person known to have died worldwide due to malfunctioning Takata air bag inflators.

She was killed when the 2002 Honda Civic she was driving crashed on March 31. Fourteen automakers have recalled about 24 million vehicles in the U.S. because of faulty Takata air bag inflators that can explode with too much force and hurl shrapnel at drivers and passengers. 

The deaths have occurred since May of 2009:

— May 27, 2009: Ashley Parham, 18, of Midwest City, Oklahoma, 2001 Honda Accord

— Dec. 24, 2009: Gurjit Rathore, 33, of Richmond, Virginia, 2001 Honda Accord

— Sept. 13, 2013: Hai Ming Xu, of Alhambra, California, 2002 Acura TL

— July 27, 2014: Law Suk Leh of Sibu, Malaysia, 2003 Honda City

— Sept. 7, 2014: Jewel Brangman, 26, of California, 2001 Honda Civic

— Sept. 29, 2014: Hien Thi Tran, 51, of Orlando, Florida, 2001 Honda Accord

— Jan. 18, 2015: Carlos Solis, 35, of Spring, Texas, 2002 Honda Accord

— April 15, 2015: Kylan Langlinais, 23, of Lafayette, Louisiana, 2005 Honda Accord

— July 22, 2015: Unidentified 13-year-old boy, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, 2001 Honda Accord

— Dec. 22, 2015: Joel Knight, 52, of Kershaw, South Carolina, 2006 Ford Ranger

— March 31, 2016: Unidentified 17-year-old girl, Fort Bend County, Texas, 2002 Honda Civic

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