Product recalls occur frequently in the automotive industry as manufacturers fix defects in vehicles that only become apparent after use. Events like this may be embarrassing for automakers, but they're not necessarily a bad thing. At the end of the day, we'd rather put our trust in automakers that are willing to own up to it and solve their problems rather than keep their woes in the dark.
However, recalls that are not the fault of the automaker have been going on for years, and Toyota currently appears to be the most affected, with vehicles as old as 20 years included in the recall. Longtime readers of Hackaday probably recognize where this is going, as we've covered it before. The centerpiece was a defect in Takata's airbags, resulting in one of the largest safety-related recalls in automotive history.
Car airbags are fibrous structures that are inflated at high speed by small explosives caused by sudden deceleration caused by an accident. Its purpose is to reduce the impact that passengers receive inside the vehicle. The problem with defective Takata units is that moisture intrusion can change the properties of the charge, increase power as it corrodes, and can rain metal flakes upon detonation.
our colleagues [Lewin Day] has written a series of informative and insightful studies going back many years into the technology behind the Takata incident. With such a relatively old vehicle currently being recalled, one can't help but wonder if it would be easier in this case for Toyota to implement a buyback program and take the vehicle off the road rather than repair it. , I'm interested from a non-automobile safety perspective. An engineer talks about why car airbags have evolved this way. Why is one of the very few consumer explosives not better regulated, why is it sold with an indefinite useful life, and like other automotive consumables? Why isn't it standardized so that it can be replaced regularly on a regular schedule?
2003-2004 Toyota Corolla: IFCAR, Public Domain.
