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Brand new cars are being sold with defective Takata airbags

If you just bought a 2016 Audi TT, 2017 Audi R8, 2016–17 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, or 2016 Volkswagen CC, we have some unsettling news for you. A report provided to a US Senate committee that oversees the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and reported on by Automotive News claims these vehicles were sold with defective Takata airbags. And it gets worse. Toyota and FCA are called out in the report for continuing to build vehicles that will need to be recalled down the line for the same issue. That's not all. The report also states that of the airbags that have been replaced already in the Takata recall campaign, 2.1 million will need to eventually be replaced again. They don't have the drying agent that prevents the degradation of the ammonium nitrate, which can lead to explosions that can destroy the airbag housing and propel metal fragments at occupants. So these airbags are out there already. We're not done yet. There's also a stockpile of about 580,000 airbags waiting to be installed in cars coming in to have their defective airbags replaced. These 580k airbags also don't have the drying agent. They'll need to be replaced down the road, too. A new vehicle with a defective Takata airbag should be safe to drive, but that margin of safety decreases with time. If all this has you spinning around in a frustrated, agitated mess, there's a silver lining that is better than it sounds. So take a breath, run your fingers through your hair, and read on. Our best evidence right now demonstrates that defective Takata airbags – those without the drying agent that prevents humidity from degrading the ammonium nitrate propellant – aren't dangerous yet. It takes a long period of time combined with high humidity for them to reach the point where they can rupture their housing and cause serious injury. It's a matter of years, not days. So a new vehicle with a defective Takata airbag should be safe to drive, but that margin of safety decreases with time – and six years seems to be about as early as the degradation happens in the worst possible scenario. All this is small comfort for the millions of people who just realized their brand-new car has a time bomb installed in the wheel or dashboard, or the owners who waited patiently to have their airbags replaced only to discover that the new airbag is probably defective in the same way (although newer and safer!) as the old one.

Toyota's future fuel cell vehicle lineup revealed?

Being an Olympic sponsor from 2017 through 2024 puts Toyota in the international limelight, and the company is preparing a fleet of efficient, cutting-edge vehicles just in time for the Tokyo games in 2020. At least eight new models could be on the way, according to Automotive News citing Best Car from Japan. Three of those might make use of the hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain developed for the Mirai. While many of these fuel cells are going into Japan-only vehicles, one of them could come here. Reiterating earlier rumors, Automotive News reports a hydrogen-powered Lexus LS is set for 2018. It could be even lighter than the current hybrid model, too. A similar version of the Toyota Crown would launch there in 2019 and possibly an FCEV Estima minivan, too. Beyond fuel cells, Toyota also intends to put the JPN Taxi Concept from the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show into production in time for the games, according to Automotive News. For 2017, the brand's flagship Century is also expected to adopt a hybrid V8 to replace the current V12, as well. Plus, many of its Japanese-market vans are also due for updates. All of this is certainly a massive undertaking to be ready in time, but Tokyo want to use the games as a chance to show the city as an innovative, international destination. Automotive News predicts Toyota could supply thousands of vehicles to haul all of the athletes and dignitaries around. In addition, the Japanese government wants 6,000 fuel cell vehicles on the road and 35 refueling stations up an running for the games. Related Video:

Watch Congress sample Toyota's i-Road 3-wheeler concept

Toyota brought its new i-Road, a three-wheeled, all-electric low-speed vehicle that debuted in 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show, to the Capitol for some of our elected officials to test out. As easy as it is to forget that politicians are people, too, it was refreshing to see a human side to many of them as they zipped about one of the Capitol's many meeting rooms.
We'd say their reactions were surprisingly positive. Of course, some were just down there because Toyota is a big presence in their respective districts, but the bulk of the senators and representatives seemed like they just wanted to zip about the makeshift indoor course on the leaning trike.
Take a look below at the video from Bloomberg.