Takata airbag class action plaintiff speaks out in Windsor

One of several people suing airbag maker Takata Corp. spoke in Windsor, Ont., Thursday afternoon.

John MacIntosh, represented by Sutts Strosberg LLP, says he rarely drives his 2003 Toyota Corolla because he's scared it is equipped with a faulty airbag made by Takata.

"I have no interest in being in a situation where it might deploy so I refuse to drive it on a highway," he said.

MacIntosh is seeking damages on behalf of owners of vehicles equipped with Takata-made airbags, which can malfunction and harm drivers and passengers.

"As an individual, I can't do much about it. I can't do anything about it in fact. I could complain but nobody would listen.
So this opportunity for people like me to make [myself] heard."

All told, Sutts Strosberg is representing seven people in five class action suits seeking a combined total of $3.25 billion CND.

Takata and one of its North American subsidiaries are common defendants in all of the five actions.

Takata faces multiple class actions in the United States and Canada as well as a U.S. criminal investigation and a regulatory probe.

The number of Canadian recalls isn't easily accessible on Transport Canada's database, which is searchable by company (not component maker) and doesn't necessarily list what specific component was a factor in any given recall.

According to lawyer Harvey Strosberg, the five class actions cover 1.6 million vehicles, a number he believes could grow to three million.

As of last year, Honda said it had recalled more than 700,000 vehicles in Canada because of the issue.

"Honda is currently reviewing the information released today to determine what new actions may be required to further ensure the safety of our customers in North America," a spokesperson with the company told CBC News Wednesday.

"To date, Honda is not aware of any reported claims of injuries or deaths in Canada relating to a ruptured airbag inflator of any Takata produced airbag in a Honda or Acura vehicle."

A recall notice on the database from December says that Toyota Canada has recalled 14,570 RAV4 SUVs for faulty airbags. But the notice has no mention they are Takata components. A subsequent news release from Toyota Canada, however, confirms that the recall is in fact related to Takata components.

For a full list of the Takata recalls Toyota has undertaken in Canada, the carmaker urged people to visit www.media.toyota.ca.

"I would urge consumers to stay in touch with their manufacturers and their dealers in order to determine if their car is susceptible," said Jason Stein, the editor and publisher of Automotive News, an auto industry magazine.

Based on a CBC analysis of recall notices on the regulator's database, there are at least 1.3 million Canadian cars affected. That includes:

• 90,245 Nissan vehicles.
• 18,979 Toyotas.
• 47,000 Mazdas.
• 873,738 Hondas.
• 259,600 Chryslers.
• 11,131 BMWs.
• 27,523 Fords.
• 1,112 Subarus.