Another death blamed on Takata airbag inflators has reportedly prompted yet another recall expansion.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently received a complaint from a South Carolina attorney alleging that a Takata inflator exploded in a 2006 Ford Ranger and sent shrapnel into an driver’s neck.
“Metal from the inflator canister exploded penetrating my client’s neck resulting in death,” the complaint reads. “There is no doubt airbag shrap killed my client, as this has been confirmed by death certificate and autopsy report.”
The driver is said to have “hit a cow in the middle of the road,” causing the vehicle to leave the road into a field. The attorney claims the South Carolina Highway Patrol is still working to complete its investigation of the late-December accident.
The 2006 Ranger was already included in a Takata recall. A May 2015 campaign cited safety concerns with the Takata-sourced front passenger airbag. The driver airbag, which was blamed for the death, was not included in any recall campaigns when the death complaint was submitted.
The incident has been associated with a wider review of two inflator types, including the suspect inflator in the 2006 Ranger, according to a Reuters report. The expansion is expected to affect five million vehicles from several automakers.
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