Registration of all remaining cars with defective Takata Airbags under compulsory recall to be refused

Friday, 4 June 2021

Any remaining vehicles still fitted with defective Takata airbags subject to a compulsory safety recall will be refused registration in South Australia from today, and cannot be registered until the airbags are replaced.

Since November 2018, the South Australian Registrar of Motor Vehicles has taken action to refuse the registration of light vehicles fitted with defective Takata airbag inflators that have been classed as “critical", in line with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC’s) compulsory safety recall.

The Registrar is now extending this action to refuse the registration of all remaining vehicles fitted with defective Takata airbags subject to a compulsory safety recall.

The defective airbags are highly dangerous and can mis-deploy, resulting in death or serious injury.

Affected owners may have already received notification from their vehicle manufacturer that their vehicle is under active recall for urgent repair, under the compulsory recall notice administered by the ACCC.

The replacement airbag inflator is free.

Vehicle owners will be notified by the Registrar if their vehicle is identified as fitted with a defective Takata airbag inflator, giving them one calendar month to provide required evidence that they have had the defective airbag on their vehicle replaced. The responsibility is on the registered vehicle owner to provide this evidence.

If no response is received after the specified timeframe, a Safety Recall Incident will be placed against the vehicle’s record. This Safety Recall Incident flag will prevent the vehicle’s registration from being renewed until evidence is produced showing the airbag has been rectified.

Where necessary, the Registrar will issue a second notification to the vehicle owner, with their renewal notice, advising that their vehicle registration cannot be renewed until sufficient evidence of rectification has been supplied.

Under no circumstances will the Safety Recall Incident be lifted, unless suitable evidence is provided confirming a defective airbag has been replaced.

All vehicle owners should check to see if their vehicle is affected.

You can check if your vehicle is affected immediately via the website www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au or text the word ‘Takata’ to 0487 AIRBAG (0487 247 224).

For further information about the recall, visit www.productsafety.gov.au