Injured motorists seek legal advice over Takata airbags

People who say they have been injured due to defective airbags have asked a law firm to investigate the potential for a class action over what has become Australia's largest product recall.

Shine Lawyers have been contacted by five people who have reported airbags exploding with "excessive force" in a crash, leaving them with facial scars and bruising.

Some spent weeks in hospital and others have been unable to return to work. Along with these claims, serious concerns have emerged about the effectiveness of Australia's recall process.

The number of suspect cars rose to 168,000 last year, then 400,000 last month and now 850,000

Toyota has only managed to examine and, where needed fix, just 29 per cent of 1700 Corollas and Avensis Versos red-flagged in April, 2013, when the number of cars considered at risk was 12,000 and there was no parts shortage.

The number of suspect cars rose to 168,000 last year, then 400,000 last month and now 850,000 across major brands.

Around the world, 54 million vehicles are affected and the airbag maker, Takata, can no longer produce replacements quickly enough.

By Christmas, Toyota hopes to have one-third of the stock needed for recently recalled Yaris models.

And the Takata airbag recall is not alone in failing to gain traction. Samsung triggered an official alert on 145,000 potentially deadly washing machines in 2013 but is yet to see more than 80,000 of them.

Manufacturers should be treating this as a consumer safety emergency

A Toyota spokeswoman blamed customers for the response to the 2013 recall. It and other manufacturers sent letters to addresses believed to link to at-risk vehicles. "We are relying on customers to book in their cars (for checks)," she said.

Car makers needed to do more to get customers into safer vehicles, either by forcing Takata to work faster or by providing loan cars, said Shine partner Rebecca Jancauskas and Senator Nick Xenophon, who has a record of campaigning for greater product safety and owns a recalled 2006 Toyota Yaris.

"Manufacturers should be treating this as a consumer safety emergency," Senator Xenophon said.

"Would car company executives want their family members to be driving in cars when there is a real chance of injury or death? That's the pub test."

Shine's Ms Jancauskas said questions need to be asked about the testing of products before they hit the Australian market. Relying on information from car makers, the Department of Infrastructure, which includes transport, said there has been no report of injury due to defective airbags.

A class action would likely target Takata and car makers.