TOM KRISHER
AP Auto Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Two U.S. senators are questioning why the nation’s auto safety regulators let car companies recall vehicles only in limited regions when a safety problem could happen anywhere.
In a letter Wednesday, Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Edward Markey of Massachusetts cited a dangerous problem with air bags as an example of how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has let some automakers limit recalls to a few high-humidity states while others have done nationwide recalls for the same problem.
Inflators can rupture in air bags manufactured by Japanese parts supplier Takata Corp., causing metal fragments to fly out when air bags are inflated in crashes. The problem has caused serious injuries for drivers and passengers. So far, automakers have recalled about 12 million vehicles worldwide because of the problem, and NHTSA is investigating whether it is more widespread, saying it could date back to vehicles from the 2002 model year.
The problem has affected most major automakers including Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, BMW and Mitsubishi. Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, estimates there are at least 20 million cars with the faulty air bags on U.S. roads.
Some automakers, on advice from Takata, have done regional recalls in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Takata says the “absolute humidity” is higher than other states. Others have done nationwide recalls, or “service campaigns” that aren’t monitored by NHTSA. Most complaints about the problem have come from high-humidity states.
Absolute humidity is a measurement of water vapor in the air, while relative humidity measures air moisture content relative to the air temperature.
The senators wrote to NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman that the regional recalls could be risky for the safety of those whose cars aren’t registered in states covered by the recalls.
“Even if these cars are not actually registered in the particular states subject to the regional recall, they may nevertheless be driven there,” the senators wrote in the letter.
Blumenthal and Markey also questioned how absolute humidity was determined, since most weather forecasting measurements use relative humidity. They also questioned why the recalls were limited, “given the high levels of summertime humidity experienced by large portions of the rest of the country.”
The lawmakers also questioned whether Honda is complying with a law requiring automakers to report safety defects causing serious injury or deaths.
Citing research by the Center for Auto Safety, Blumenthal and Markey wrote that there is no report in NHTSA’s database about the May 27, 2009, death of 18-year-old Ashley Parham of Oklahoma City. Parham was driving a 2001 Honda Accord across a high school parking lot in Midwest City, Oklahoma, when it hit another car. The air bag sent shards of metal into her neck, causing her death.
The senators said Honda may have told the agency of the incident, but that NHTSA apparently didn’t post information in its Early Warning database, so the public was not made aware of it. Honda said in a statement it gave NHTSA details of the Parham case in September 2009.
NHTSA said it is working to establish a “new normal” for automakers to report safety problems and issue recalls quickly. The agency said it’s investigating Takata air bags and has urged automakers to recall cars in areas with the highest known risks.
“Based on NHTSA’s open investigation, the agency will take appropriate action, including expanding the scope of the recall if warranted,” an agency statement said. The agency also is talking with Honda about Early Warning reporting.
A Takata spokesman said in an email Wednesday night that he was working on a statement.
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