FL senator: New cars still being sold with recalled airbags

(FOX 13) - A new senate report says at least four automakers are still selling new vehicles with potentially deadly Takata air bags. 

According to Florida Senator and ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, Bill Nelson, car-makers Fiat Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Volkswagen acknowledge they are still selling cars with recalled Takata airbags.

The report says some of those automakers' 2016 and 2017 models are equipped with the Takata inflator that is prone to rupture.

The companies are being allowed to sell the cars even though, by law, they'll have to be recalled before the end of 2018.

"The question is: could hundreds of injuries and 13 deaths continue?" Nelson told FOX 13 News. "And the answer to that is, 'yes.' Sadly, yes."

So far, 11 deaths have been directly attributed to faulty Takata air bags worldwide. Two other deaths are under investigation in Malaysia.

As many as 69 million cars and trucks with Takata air bags are being recalled in the U.S. alone. 

Only two of the four automakers provided investigators with specific models that may contain defective inflators. Those are:
- 2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEV
- 2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV
- 2016 Audi TT
- 2017 Audi R8