Guadeloupe: Defective Takata Airbags: Another Death, Another 2,700 Vehicles Affected on the Island

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 announced on Tuesday that more than 2,700 vehicles were still affected.

The Takata airbag scandal has been rocking the automotive industry since 2014 , forcing 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.

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

"The vehicle involved in this tragic accident [...] 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 given in the Vehicle Registration System (SIV) are incorrect, or because the mail has not been received by the recipients," he explains.

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.