Bilirakis Grills Key Executives on Airbag Deaths

Statement

Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, today questioned witnesses regarding the failure of Takata airbags and the recall of millions of vehicles in the United States.

"This is a fundamental issue of safety," Bilirakis said. "Americans must be able to trust that the cars they drive are safe. Instead, millions of Americans have been driving cars with potentially deadly airbags because of humidity. After I questioned him, Honda's Executive Vice President, Rick Schostek, admitted "we believe the risk is highest,' in Florida. Floridians should still have a reasonable amount of certainty that their airbags are safe and will not malfunction because of the weather," Bilirakis continued. "I don't think there is any excuse for not solving this problem for over 10 years."

To date, approximately 8 million vehicles in the United States have been recalled. There have been four fatalities in the U.S., all in cars that were covered by or triggered national recalls tied to manufacturing issues. 17 incidents regarding Takata airbags have occurred in Florida.

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