There are more than 66,000 vehicles in Colorado with defective airbags and recall letters are being mailed to vehicle owners this month, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue.
“The letters, which will be sent in mid-February, inform owners of recalled vehicles that the airbags could kill or seriously injure drivers and passengers if they deploy,” according to a revenue department news release. “A defective part inside the airbag can explode when the airbag deploys, potentially shooting sharp metal fragments at the driver and passengers.”
The recall involves Takata airbags, which can be found in multiple vehicle manufacturer brands.
Nationwide, 24 people have been killed because of defective devices with hundreds of people injured, the release said.
On Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Honda issued a “Do Not Drive” warning for certain 2001-2003 Acura and Honda vehicles equipped with unrepaired Takata Alpha driver-side airbag inflators.
The letter directs vehicle owners to schedule appointments at local dealerships for immediate free recall repairs. It urges owners to take immediate action even if their vehicles have been previously repaired due to temporary replacement parts being used on some vehicles.