Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/527016
VII Motoring maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 JUNE 2015 Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. issued the largest product re- call in U.S. history in May, relenting to pressure from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis- tration to recall nearly 34 million air bag inflators that can explode with dangerous force. But NHTSA's estimate that "the potential number of vehicles affected" is the same as the number of air bag inflators is wrong. The reason is simple: 33.8 million air bag inflators were not installed in 33.8 million separate cars. Many of the cars have two defective inflators – one for the driver and another for the front passenger. Some of these inflators were in the supply chain and never made their way into ve- hicles. Others were used as replace- ment parts. And a large portion of the affected cars, which date back to the 2001 model year, have likely been totaled and scrapped. A recent Reuters analysis of the U.S. safety recall notices from the 10 affected car manufacturers showed that the number of affected vehicles in the United States stands at about 16.2 million, not 33.8 mil- lion. Automakers confirmed the lower number. While the number of affected cars is still incredibly large -- about 1 in 16 vehicles on U.S. roads -- the study clarifies that there's a broad difference between Takata's mas- sive recall of affected air bag infla- tors and automakers recalls of ve- hicles confirmed to contain them. Reuters estimates that the number could still rise to 20 million vehi- cles or more, as automakers expand regional recalls, but this is still sig- nificantly smaller than the number of cars NHTSA says are potentially affected. NHTSA and car companies still strongly urge car owners to make sure that their cars are not included in the lists. Due to a parts supply constraint, it could take weeks if not months for owners to get their cars fixed from the date they sched- ule an appointment with their local certified dealerships. The air bag inflators contain am- monium nitrate, a common explo- sive chemical that's is used to rapid- ly inflate the bags. But the chemical, which Takata began using in 2001, has an unstable relationship with humidity. The inflators can deploy with such excessive force that the part fractures and sends shrapnel tearing through the bags and into the bodies of drivers and passengers. Six people have been confirmed dead worldwide, and a lawsuit filed in Louisiana on Monday claims there may be a seventh casualty. Be- cause the defect has been in vehicles worldwide for so long, it's possible other deaths and injuries went un- diagnosed by accident investigators. The number of affected vehicles worldwide is unknown. On Thurs- day Mazda Australia announced it was recalling nearly 80,000 cars found to contain the defective air bag. Jeep Malta unveils new website ahead of Jeep Renegade arrival Ahead of the imminent launch of the new Jeep Renegade in the coming days, UCIM Co Ltd agents for Jeep in Malta is unveil- ing its brand new website – www. jeep-malta.com – a more dynam- ic, visual and easy to navigate site where all customer information is available online including im- ages, model specifications, news and all that concerns the adven- turous world of JEEP. Visitors to the site in fact, will find out how the site is very in- tuitive with all the information being presented in a structured and organised manner. Francesca Mamo, Managing Director of UCIM Co Ltd, official importers of Jeep in Malta said "the new website embraces and reflects the innovative spirit of Jeep. Our website, together with all our revamped social media platforms, is built with cutting- edge technology that permits us to engage with our customers. With the new images and dy- namic appeal of the site, we feel people will be excited to visit us online over and over again." Launching Jeep's new website for Malta runs parallel with the spirit of the new JEEP Renegade which is expected to be in the showroom imminently. "The timing is rather interest- ing. We are launching the new website to reach out to more people and more effectively in the same way that we're expect- ing the new Jeep Renegade to appeal to a wider customer base due to it being the most acces- sible Jeep model on the market," added Francesca Mamo. Figures released by JEEP in fact, show how in the first three months of this year, Jeep grew by 98% compared to the same period last year. This success was achieved not only thanks the performance of models like the Wrangler which increased by 30,3% or the continued suc- cess of the Jeep Cherokee but mostly thanks to the all new Jeep Renegade which is the new- est vehicle in the Jeep line up. The new Renegade in fact, is now among the top sellers in its segment, and is leading the success of the Jeep brand in the EMEA region. From its launch, which dates back to September 2014, a total of 21,600 Renegade have been sold, with March alone totalling 5,523 registra- tions. In markets like Italy, Renegade was the second best- selling car in its segment (while being the third-best selling in Q1). Renegade is also currently being launched in the right- hand drive countries, like the UK, with 1,174 registrations in just over one month from launch and will soon be on sale in South Africa, as well as Mid- dle East, historically key mar- kets for the Jeep brand. "All the specifications of the JEEP Renegade, just like with the other models namely the JEEP Wrangler, the JEEP Compass and the Jeep Cherokee are all avail- able on www.jeep-malta.com," concluded Francesca Mamo. Numbers of vehicles affected by Takata airbag recall unclear