Exploding Shrapnel Airbags Force Recall Of 3.3 Million Japanse Cars

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A whopping 3.3 million Hondas, Nissans, Toyotas and Mazdas are being recalled due to a minor little glitch in which the passenger-side airbags send shrapnel flying into the cabin. Doesn't that sound fun?

The Los Angeles Times described the problem thusly:

In some of these vehicles, the propellant housed in a metal canister in the system can burn too quickly, causing the container to explode. If that happens, metal shards will rocket up into the windshield and ricochet down onto the passenger’s feet.

And that would probably ruin your whole day.

The New York Times reports about 1.4 million of the recalled vehicles are in the U.S. The defective airbag inflators were manufactured by Japan's Takata Corporation, and some of the parts made their way to BMWs and the Pontiac Vibe, the twin of the Toyota Matrix.

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According to the Times, the affected vehicles are mostly from the early 2000s and include a host of vehicles including the Toyota Corolla, the Mazda RX-8 and the Infiniti FX. It's a big list, so you may want to check it out.

Photo credit fuzzz