On June 5, Mazda recalled 66,000 cars in Canada due to defective Takata airbags, which can be harmful to passengers as they can be deployed too powerfully.

In addition to the existing recalled cars, 503,000 cars and 35,000 pickup trucks have been subject to a recall in the United States and Canada last week. Overall, 1.5 million vehicles in Canada have been recalled because of faulty Takata airbags. In light of this issue, the federal government will propose a legislation that would give additional powers to the Minister of Transport as the ability to order recalls as well as the imposition of a fine for auto manufacturers.

"Because the safety and security of Canadians is my top priority, the decision to recall vehicles cannot rest exclusively in industry’s hands. This new legislation will strengthen vehicle recalls in Canada and allow me to protect Canadians by quickly addressing automobile safety issues," declared Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport.

Finally, the Takata airbag recall and the new federal legislation could have a potential impact on NAFA fleet managers. NAFA will continue to monitor this situation.