Contact your insurance agent if you receive a loaner vehicle or a rental car as a replacement vehicle until yours is repaired. Your agent will need to contact your insurance carrier in order to review your automobile policy to confirm coverage and limitations.
According to a recent article from Consumer Reports, which can be read in it’s entirety online at consumerreports.org
Vehicles made by 14 different automakers have been recalled to replace frontal airbags on the driver’s side or passenger’s side, or both in what NHTSA has called “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.” The airbags, made by major parts supplier Takata, were mostly installed in cars from model year 2002 through 2015. Some of those airbags could deploy explosively, injuring or even killing car occupants
Through various announcements, the recall has tripled in size over the past year. It currently stands at more than 100 million vehicles worldwide with airbag inflators needing to be replaced before 2019.
Many affected owners are learning that it may take weeks or months for their replacement airbags to arrive. Takata has ramped up and added to its assembly lines, and expects to be cranking out a million replacement kits per month by September. But with the recalled airbags now numbering more than 34 million, replacing them all could take years, even as other suppliers race to support this initiative.
Renting a car until yours is repaired can prove expensive and ultimately might not be the ideal solution. Asking your dealer whether they will provide one, or a loaner vehicle might be worth a try if it accomplishes putting some pressure on the manufacturer. If you do get a loaner or rental car, as with any new vehicle or rental, take some time to familiarize yourself with its operation before driving. It is very important that you contact your insurance agent or insurance carrier to be sure there is coverage for the replacement vehicle.
