Lawmakers Pushing for Expanded Recall on Defective Airbags

iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Some lawmakers in Congress are saying that every defective airbag — which could mean millions more than the 20 million devices already suggested — should be recalled, not just in the South where most of the airbag recalls have been focused.

“I want [the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration] to recall all airbags regardless of where they are, not just in warm states,” said Sen. Edward Mackey, D-Massachusetts. “And I want them to offer every driver a loaner car.”

The problem with the airbags is that the defective inflator can explode with too much force, shattering the metal into shards that, car safety advocates say, are believed to have killed four people and caused dozens of injuries. The airbag problem is linked to cars in states where there’s persistent humid weather.

Corey Burdick, 26, of Eustis, Florida, lost sight in his right eye when his car collided with another vehicle in May and the airbag inflated. A piece of metal shot out from the airbag and hit him in the face.

“It was a like a ‘Boom!’ and I remember closing my eyes,” he told ABC News. “I put my hand up to my face … and there was blood everywhere.”

Takata, the manufacturer of the airbag inflators, has said it is “cooperating” with the recall.

The NHTSA has said that there are not enough replacement inflators for the cars currently being recalled. If the recall is expanded, as lawmakers have urged, it could take years to replace the airbags.

The NHTSA said it has been in contact with Takata to try to expand production of replacement units and has asked the company to look at outside sources to help boost production.