Toyota, Mazda, Suzuki will buy back old cars due to safety risk

Three car companies have offered to buy back old cars affected by faulty airbags. (Image: Getty)

Three major car manufacturers have offered to buy back old cars affected by the latest airbag recall.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced Friday that Toyota, Mazda and Suzuki have issued voluntary recalls of more than 18,000 cars built between 1996 and 1999 that have Takata NADI 5-AT airbags.

Owners of affected models are advised to immediately stop driving the cars.

"These airbags could injure or kill people in the car by misdeploying in an accident and propelling parts or metal fragments into the cabin of the vehicle at high speed," said ACCC acting chairperson Stephen Ridgeway.

"The airbags have also, in some instances, not fully inflated in a crash, thereby failing to protect drivers as expected."

Owners should contact the manufacturer for an urgent and free inspection.

Toyota, which is now Australia's biggest selling vehicle brand, is offering to buy back impacted cars or provide long-term replacement vehicle hire until the problem is rectified.

Mazda and Suzuki are both offering to buy back cars with the deadly airbag.

"Drivers must take these warnings seriously," said Ridgeway.

"These airbags pose a serious safety risk that could lead to deaths or serious injuries. Please do not put lives at risk, and consider other transport options if your vehicle is affected."

The affected models are listed below or a search can be conducted here:

Car models affected by Takata airbag recall. (Source: ACCC)

Vehicle models affected by Takata airbag recall. (Source: ACCC)

Faulty Takata airbags have now caused four incidents known in Australia. A death and a serious injury was recorded in BMW cars, and a death and a serious injury have occurred in Toyota vehicles.

The latest recalls follow Audi, BMW and Ford, which have made similar recalls for 17,000 cars since November. Honda and Mitsubishi are also expected to issue voluntary recalls in the coming days.

Audi, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Toyota, according to the ACCC, have all agreed to offer "urgent short term assistance" for customers that are "experiencing significant hardship over the holiday period" because of the recall.

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