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NHTSA urges owners of recalled Takata airbag vehicles to take immediate action

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation are taking the unusual step of issuing a followup press release urging owners of certain recalled vehicles "to act immediately" to fix their cars and trucks. The problem in question concerns the repair campaigns for rupturing Takata airbag inflators issued in June and covers a long list of models from Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Infiniti, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile and Pontiac.
While NHSTA doesn't specifically say why the recall is vital in the new release, Toyota's own explanation in its newly announced renotification campaign earlier today sheds some new light on the topic. According to the Japanese automaker, in testing, Takata found a possible link between the rupturing airbag inflators and high humidity. NHTSA is advocating that all owners pursue repairs immediately if they haven't already done so already. This is especially crucial for those drivers especially in Florida, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii because of the humid conditions there.
We don't need to tell you how dangerous an inadvertent airbag deployment could be - even in a stationary vehicle - but adding to the Takata issue is fears that the deployment could lead to shrapnel being sprayed into the cabin.

Turbo Honda S2000 could battle Miata and 124 Abarth

Rumors are again swirling that Honda could have a new sports car under development to slot below the forthcoming NSX. Autocar claims the model would revive the S2000 name, but offer 1.5- and 2.0-liter turbocharged units at the front to drive the rear wheels. Autocar alleges this info comes from unnamed "company insiders," and asserts the new S2000 could have a base model with a 1.5-liter turbo that makes about 180 hp – almost 60 hp down from the original convertible. However, a hotter version – possibly with Type R badging – would reportedly have a detuned form of the 306-hp 2.0-liter in the Civic Type R. Both trims would have a six-speed manual. Competing rumors contend that Honda could be developing two different performance models. Patent images suggest the company might have a smaller version of the NSX under consideration in addition to the rumored S200 revival. The mid-engine coupe would allegedly use a hybrid powertrain based on the Civic Type R's engine to make a total of about 400 hp. However, Autocar claims the S2000 successor has the higher priority of the pair, but it doesn't mention where the info comes from. The Honda S660 kei car on sale in Japan shows that the brand is willing to dabble in new sports cars, but that convertible isn't practical for the US market, according to the automaker's bosses. Dealers meanwhile continue to beg a performance model in the lineup, so it's possible one of these rumored projects eventually could arrive in showrooms. Related Video:

Takata, Honda sued in Florida over death of pregnant Malaysian women

The Takata recall debacle keeps spiraling as the father of a pregnant woman killed in Malaysia allegedly due to the malfunctioning airbag has filed suit against both the equipment manufacturer and Honda in a court in Florida. The case reportedly revolves around one Law Suk Leh, 42, who was driving her 2003 Honda City on Borneo Island in Malaysia this past July. She was driving at about 20 miles per hour when her car was struck by another. Her airbag deployed with inordinate force, metal shrapnel sliced her neck and she died in the ambulance en route to the local hospital. The baby she was carrying was delivered after the mother's death, but died three days later. Now her father, Law Ngee Chiong, is suing the airbag manufacturer and the automaker on behalf of the estates of his late daughter and granddaughter in a US federal court in Miami. The suit was reportedly filed in the United States because the faulty inflator is made in LaGrange, GA. US District Judge Federico Moreno is currently evaluating about two dozen such personal-injury and death cases, including the one in question, for pretrial rulings and evidence-gathering. Leh's case is one of six deaths blamed on the defective Takata airbags, which have caused automakers and government regulators to recall an estimated 24 million vehicles around the world.