(Orlando, FL, Wednesday, May 1, 2019) – May is Airbag Recall Repair Month in Florida. There are approximately 1.1 million unrepaired vehicles still on the roads in Florida, over 100,000 of those in the Orlando area. These unrepaired, recalled airbags put drivers and passengers at risk. In a crash, defective airbags could rupture, spraying sharp, metal fragments that can cause injury or death.

Hosted by the National Safety Council’s Check To Protect program, the Airbag Recall Repair Month campaign urges all drivers to make safety a priority by checking their vehicles, and getting their defective airbags repaired immediately.

Chris Freeman, FCA US: Airbag recall campaign manager, explains the urgency of these airbag recalls.

SOUNDBITE #1:

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY ONE POINT ONE MILLION UNREPAIRED VEHICLES STILL ON THE ROADS IN FLORIDA. IT’S URGENT THAT VEHICLE OWNERS OF ALL MAKES AND MODELS VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE IF THEIR VEHICLE HAS A DANGEROUS DEFECTIVE AIRBAG. AIRBAGS ARE AT AN INCREASED RISK OF RUPTURING IN HEAT AND HUMIDITY AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES BEFORE WE HEAD INTO THE SUMMER HEAT, BY CHECKING TO SEE IF YOUR VEHICLE’S AIRBAG HAS BEEN RECALLED.

SOUNDBITE #2:

THE EASIEST WAY TO CHECK FOR RECALLED AIRBAGS IS WITH A VEHICLE’S SEVENTEEN-CHARACTER VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE DRIVER’S SIDE DASHBOARD BY THE WINDSHIELD AND ON MOST VEHICLE REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS. ENTER YOUR VIN INTO OUR WEBSITE TO CHECK FOR OPEN RECALLS. IF YOU DO HAVE AN AIRBAG RECALL, CALL YOUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE REPAIR. MANY DEALERSHIPS ARE OPEN EXTENDED HOURS AND ALSO PROVIDE COMPLIMENTARY TRANSPORTATION. REPAIRS ARE FREE AND THEY ONLY TAKE ABOUT AN HOUR TO COMPLETE.

To see if your vehicle has an open airbag recall, visit CheckToProtect.org.