When you think about how airbags in vehicles are supposed to work, the overriding notion is that they are supposed to save lives. They are supposed to cushion the impact between a driver (primarily their head) and the steering column and the dashboard. The same could be said about airbags that protect passengers as well.
However, while many airbags save lives, there is a growing problem that is being discovered about the canisters that house them. Essentially they could disintegrate under the pressure of inflating during the impact of an accident, and could send metal shards into the occupants of a car, therefore creating serious lacerations and other injuries.
According to a warning issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly five million vehicles across the United States could be affected. The airbags, which were manufactured by Takata Corporation, have been included in Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans and BMWs sold over the past few years. However, new information has surfaced suggesting that more than seven million cars could have faulty airbags.