JLR makes pre-emptive Takata airbag recall

Jaguar Land Rover Australia's announcement last week that it will voluntarily recall about 17,000 of its vehicles due to concerns over the safety of Takata airbags adds to the global list of car-makers affected by the crisis that has cost lives and bankrupted the Japanese company.

In all, the crisis affects 19 car and truck manufacturers around the world and has resulted in what is described as the automotive industry's largest-ever recall.

The Jaguar land Rover (JLR) decision, according to the company, comes as a pre-emptive measure insofar as there have been "no reports of failed airbags in any of its vehicles anywhere in the world."

A JLR spokesperson said: "We would rather err on the side of caution and recall vehicles for air bag replacement despite no reports of failed airbags in any of our vehicles anywhere in the world. Customer safety comes first."

JLR says it will "work closely" with the ACCC, urging owners to check online whether or not their vehicle has been recalled to replace faulty Takata airbags. A mandatory government recall notice for cars fitted with Takata airbags is currently being discussed with the ACCC and the auto industry.

"Jaguar Land Rover has not identified safety risks directly affecting its vehicles in Australia and so its vehicles are not currently listed on the ACCC website for vehicles voluntarily recalled to date. However, because of concerns identified by the ACCC about certain Takata airbags, we would prefer to err on the side of caution.

"We want to ensure our recall takes place as quickly as possible and with the least amount of inconvenience or anxiety for customers, based on replacement airbag availability and dealer capacity."

Takata agreed in March this year to a $US1 billion ($A1.3 billion) settlement after pleading guilty to fraud in the US federal court in Detroit. Takata admitted it had hidden evidence that in certain circumstances its airbags could explode with too much force, firing shrapnel into vehicle occupants.

JLR said in a statement that its "preferred approach" is to recall the oldest vehicles first and that it will release further details after finishing discussions with the ACCC.