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October 2016
Used import checks ‘broken’, MIA says New Zealand’s used vehicle importing process is broken, because it failed to identify cars with disabled passenger-side airbags, according to the Motor Industry Association (MIA).
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he NZTA is now done in stages due to the urgently working short supply of new airbag to identify the inflators. The Takata recall vehicles, imported from is the largest in history, Japan since 2015, which affecting more than 100 have been modified to million vehicles worldwide, disengage the passenger after Takata’s faulty airbag airbags as a quick, inflators were linked to 14 interim fix to the Takata deaths and 150 injuries. airbag recall. But the interim fix is not Toyota NZ has compliant in New Zealand, identified 8,373 used where it is illegal to tamper Some used vehicles imported after 2015 have the passenger imports where a with the airbag, Crawford airbag deactivated disabling device was explains. fitted to the passenger been imported into New Zealand The NZTA’s website says airbag. Of these, 7,491 have been with the interim fix, and not all of it is safer to have a functioning, registered and are on the road in the them will be easy to identify but potentially faulty, airbag than New Zealand. because not all parent companies to have none at all, as only a very The carmaker has provided were notified about the process small percentage of the airbags are NZTA with the registration in Japan. likely to malfunction in a crash. numbers of these cars and they will Crawford explains the interim While Crawford believes none be flagged at Warrant of Fitness fix was done at the customer’s of the importers in New Zealand, (WoF) stage, so the airbags can be request and was allowed in Japan nor their agents in Japan, knew the reconnected. because passenger-side airbags are airbags were disabled, they should But MIA chief executive David not compulsory. have identified that the vehicles Crawford says about another These vehicles are still subject were subject to recall. 7,500 vehicles are likely to have to the Takata recall, which is being “The recall should’ve been
icle the veh that if
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