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Will your car show up on updated Takata recall list?

Posted at 6:00 PM, Jan 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-10 00:37:05-05

Terrance Rogerson loves his car.

It's a 2010 2-door Honda Accord with a V6 engine and a royal blue paint job that looks as new as the day he bought it.

"It's got a lot of zip," he says.

But after getting a notice in the mail recently, he's afraid to drive it.

It's from autoairbagsettlement.com, and explains that his car might be a part of the Takata airbag recall settlement. It says he may be entitled to some money.

But the Phoenix man says he isn't worried about the money, he just wants to know, "whether they're dangerous or not."

Problem is, no one seems to know.

"I went to the Honda website and put in the (vehicle identification) number and it said no active recalls," he explained. 

He says no one--not the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nor the dealership he uses for service--shows that his airbags are under a recall. That means he can't get them replaced. 

"I just don't want to end up with a face full of shrapnel," he says.

Frustrated, Terrance let me know. We got in touch with Honda.

A spokesperson confirms that if he "received a mailer, his vehicle was originally equipped with a Takata inflator." 

So why isn't Terrance's VIN showing up on the recall list? Turns out his and millions other vehicles from various manufacturers are at the back of the line.  

Honda tells me NHTSA scheduled the "recalls over a period of years based on the age of the vehicle and the region in which someone lives."

More cars will continue to be added through the year 2020. But that means it could be a couple more years before you know if your airbag needs to be replaced.

Terrance won't have to wait that long.  Honda tells me on Tuesday the latest round of VINs were released and his is included. On Wednesday Honda owners should be able to start checking the database for more VINs. Other manufacturers will also be adding throughout the month. Check to see if your car has been added here.