Over 12,000 vehicle owners in Singapore yet to rectify faulty Takata airbags that killed man in 2022
LTA advises buyers to purchase vehicles from dealers with strong track records and the ability to meet obligations
[SINGAPORE] Around 12,700 vehicles in Singapore with defective Takata airbags have not been rectified, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Monday (Feb 2).
LTA has started investigations into manufacturers and motor dealers who have failed to fulfil their legal obligations to recall vehicles that they manufactured, imported, or sold, including those with faulty Takata airbags.
LTA’s statement was in response to queries from The Straits Times following findings released at a January coroner’s inquiry into the death of a driver who was killed when a defective Takata airbag in the steering wheel ejected a metal fragment that pierced his head.
Michael Ong Kong Meng, 57, is the first person in Singapore to die in a crash involving a defective Takata airbag, which has been linked to more than a dozen deaths worldwide and many more injuries.
Ong’s Honda Fit was imported and sold by parallel importer Hong Sin Motors, which went defunct in 2017 – before the accident in 2022.
The Honda Fit is considered to be a parallel imported version of the Honda Jazz.
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LTA said that under the vehicle recall framework in Singapore, vehicle manufacturers and motor dealers, including parallel importers, are responsible for identifying affected vehicles, notifying owners and arranging the rectification of safety-related defects.
Those who fail to comply with the recall regulations can be fined up to S$2,000 for each vehicle, subject to a maximum of S$50,000.
The recall
Around 2013, investigators discovered that defective Takata steering wheel airbags could eject metal fragments during accidents.
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Airbags manufactured by the Japanese automotive parts company were then subjected to a worldwide recall due to the defect, which posed a significantly higher risk of injury or death.
LTA said that as at mid-January 2026, motor dealers have notified owners of about 212,000 vehicles with the defect.
Around 199,000 vehicles, or 94 per cent, have had their airbags rectified, said LTA.
Separately, the authority said it will issue letters to inform around 3,200 vehicle owners – whose parallel importers are no longer in operation – about the Takata airbag recall so that their vehicles can be rectified.
Fatal accident
On Oct 10, 2022, Ong was in a chain collision involving six cars while driving on the Seletar Expressway. His car was the fifth vehicle in the crash.
Four vehicles ahead of him managed to slow down and avoid impact, but Ong’s car crashed into the one in front, causing it to surge forward and hit the third vehicle.
The airbag in Ong’s car was deployed and a round metal fragment was expelled at considerable speed through his teeth and the roof of his mouth, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda had said in his findings.
Ong suffered extensive injuries and was taken to hospital unconscious. He died that same morning, and an autopsy found he had sustained a penetrating injury to his head.
The coroner’s court heard that Hong Sin Motors had failed to inform LTA that the car was part of the Takata recall exercise.
LTA said the vehicle manufacturer and Hong Sin Motors were responsible for notifying Ong of the faulty airbag.
“On the facts of this case, it appears that the vehicle owner in question was not notified at the material time,” said LTA.
“We are studying the coroner’s findings, and will decide on our next course of action.”
LTA said when buying a vehicle, buyers should consider the seller’s ability to meet long-term obligations such as aftersales support, recall notification and safety defect rectification.
LTA added: “We advise vehicle buyers to buy their cars from dealers with a strong track record and ability to discharge these responsibilities over the vehicle’s useful life. Upon notification, vehicle owners should work with their motor dealers to have any safety-related defects rectified promptly, for their own safety.”
The coroner’s court heard that between 2012 and 2014, Kah Motor, the authorised distributor of Honda vehicles in Singapore, had announced recalls of Honda vehicles it had sold that were fitted with defective Takata airbags.
A total of 415 vehicles were affected by the recall exercise. At the time of the coroner’s inquiry, 410 of the vehicles had been recalled and had their faulty airbags replaced.
A spokesman for Kah Motor told ST on Feb 2 that of the five remaining vehicles, two have since been returned for rectification, while one vehicle has been deregistered. The owners of the remaining two vehicles have yet to respond.
The spokesman said vehicle owners are encouraged to visit any of Kah Motor’s six service centres upon receiving the recall notification or contact the distributor at 6841 3838.
Loh Jen Wei, a senior partner in Dentons Rodyk’s litigation and dispute resolution practice group, noted that there is a gap in the system if a motor dealer goes bust, leaving a vehicle owner unaware of a recall.
“Unfortunately, the case of Ong had fallen through the cracks,” she said. “More can be done to create awareness that there is a mechanism for car owners to check if their vehicle is part of a recall exercise.”
Automobile Importer and Exporter Association president Keith Oh said the association works closely with LTA to promote recall awareness and compliance across the industry.
“While manufacturers, dealers and the authorities all play important roles, vehicle owners are strongly encouraged to take an active role in periodically checking their vehicle’s recall status. This is especially relevant for used vehicles or those that have changed ownership,” said Oh.
Dr Zafar Momin, an adjunct professor at the National University of Singapore Business School and an expert in the automotive industry, said that in the US and Europe, the manufacturer is required by federal law to contact the customers within a short time frame once a safety defect has been identified.
“They access customers by leveraging the vehicle identification number (VIN) and also use national and state car registries to contact current owners of the vehicles,” he said.
“They partner third-party firms to cross-reference owner details if owners have moved residence. Front-line dealers often also contact customers to execute remedial actions of the defects,” said Dr Momin.
He added that the federal entity maintains comprehensive databases where all recalls are tracked by VIN, regardless of location and dealer.
In Singapore, when the manufacturer contacts the local distributor about safety defects, the primary legal responsibility for alerting customers rests with the authorised dealer or importer, said Dr Momin.
“This is because the manufacturers do not have direct access to customer data due to Singapore’s strict privacy and data protection laws,” he added.
Unlike the distributors, parallel importers must source for the recall information themselves and are then legally required to inform their customers, explained Dr Momin.
Checking your vehicle
Vehicle owners who have received recall notifications should contact their motor dealer, which will advise on the time frame for rectification and the interim precautionary measures that should be taken.
Vehicle owners can also log in to the Electronic Vehicle Recall System on the OneMotoring portal or contact their motor dealer to check if their vehicle is affected by any recall. THE STRAITS TIMES
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