Best Air Bag inflator recall article yet

[Bigfoot]

Update

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.caranddriver.com/amp/news/massive-takata-airbag-recall-everything-you-need-to-know-including-full-list-of-affected-vehicles

[deathsled]

Thanks for the list.  I see my 2001 Towncar hasn't made it to the list yet.  My father's 2013 Boss 302 was on the list but the paperwork indicated that the bag had been replaced before he bought it this summer.  Big question is since the perception that airbags are so safe, why don't race cars have them?  Or do they?  I am unaware of any.

[papa scoops]

well, at least I don't see my 1970 Eldorado on the list. phred

[TedS]

Ford just replaced the inflator in my wife's 2010 Edge this week. They have provided a loaner fir the last 3 months while we,wired for the parts.

[Jim Herrud]

"...why don't race cars have airbags?"

One of the primary safety goals in a crash is to reduce the g-forces to survivable levels. Airbags are a good solution, but there are others. Race cars take advantage of the fact that the crumpling of the body in a collision consumes energy and extends the time over which the cockpit area decelerates - thus reducing the g-force. The driver is tightly constrained in the cockpit with the 4/5/6-point safety harness and HANS device while also being surrounded by fairly firm padding. This allows the driver to share in the experience of the slower deceleration of his/her seat provided by the crumpling car.

In passenger cars, occupants do not want to be constrained to the same degree, so a 4/5/6-point harness is not practical. Thus in a collision, as the seat decelerates, the relatively loose 3-point harness allows the occupants momentum to continue moving until their body reaches the extent of their harness. A few milliseconds into the crash, the car has slowed considerably, but the body is still moving. In addition, the body can move in many more directions than would be allowed by a race seat. The air bags are used to dissipate this energy in many directions before their body impacts something hard in the car.

Another consideration is that a 4/5/6-point harness holds the occupant vertically in the racing seat, whereas a 3-point harness allows the persons body to move. In a rollover event, it is not unusual in a passenger vehicle for the A and/or B-pillar to collapse and intrude on the passenger area. A three-point harness allows the body to move out of the way of the collapsing roof. Because the racing harness holds the body firmly in a vertical position, a severe head or neck/back injury is more likely in this scenario. This is the reason it is recommended to not use a 4/5/6-point harness unless a  roll-bar or roll-cage is also installed.

Jim

[deathsled]

"...why don't race cars have airbags?"

One of the primary crash safety goals in crash is to reduce the g-forces to survivable levels. Airbags are a good solution, but there are others. Race cars take advantage of the fact that the crumpling of the body in a collision consumes energy and extends the time over which the cockpit area decelerates - thus reducing the g-force. The driver is tightly constrained in the cockpit with the 4/5/6-point safety harness and HANS device while also being surrounded by fairly firm padding. This allows the driver to share in the experience of the slower deceleration of his/her seat provided by the crumpling car.

In passenger cars, occupants do not want to be constrained to the same degree, so a 4/5/6-point harness is not practical. Thus in a collision, as the seat decelerates, the relatively loose 3-point harness allows the occupants momentum to continue moving until their body reaches the extent of their harness. A few milliseconds into the crash, the car has slowed considerably, but the body is still moving. In addition, the body can move in many more directions than would be allowed by a race seat. The air bags are used to dissipate this energy in many directions before their body impacts something hard in the car.

Another consideration is that a 4/5/6-point harness holds the occupant vertically in the racing seat, whereas a 3-point harness allows the persons body to move. In a rollover event, it is not unusual in a passenger vehicle for the A and/or B-pillar to collapse and intrude on the passenger area. A three-point harness allows the body to move out of the way of the collapsing roof. Because the racing harness holds the body firmly in a vertical position, a severe head or neck/back injury is more likely in this scenario. This is the reason it is recommended to not use a 4/5/6-point harness unless a  roll-bar or roll-cage is also installed.

Jim

Thank you very much for your analysis.  It makes total sense.  I had wondered from time to time but you cleared it up.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

My 06 GT made the list  but not my 98  Am I in trouble? My 59 Studebaker wagon doesn't even have a padded dash.

[Bigfoot]

Got my FGT done over the winter...

[69mach351w]

2005-2014,2017 Mustang. 

Wow!!! barely missed my 2016 Mustang GT

[TOBKOB]

2005-2014,2017 Mustang.

Wow!!! barely missed my 2016 Mustang GT

At least for now 

TOB

[Bigfoot]

^^
That's really been the issue.

They don't put a car on the list until they get leaned on by  Natl Highway Safety people or another agency.
Or
They only list one bag when it's both untill the above...
And my personal favorite.....
When you have been told twice that you need the recall on the identical inflator again because the first "fix" is substandard.