Another 7 million vehicles with faulty airbags were being recalled in Japan.
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Takata inflators can malfunction and spew shrapnel into drivers and passengers when exposed to humidity and repeated hot-and-cold cycles. Many automakers have said they will stop using Takata air-bags in models under development. “According to Takata, a safety defect may arise in front passenger air bag inflators in the involved vehicles due to inflator propellant degradation occurring after prolonged exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures and high temperature cycling”.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had revealed earlier this month that Takata had agreed to recall an additional 35 million to 40 million airbag inflators that could explode in a collision – in addition to 28.8 million already recalled.
The two automakers said they include some discontinued Saab and Pontiac vehicles assembled for General Motors Co (GM.N).
In addition to recall costs, Takata faces widespread wrongful death, personal injury and economic-loss litigation, and a potential hefty financial penalty depending on the outcome of a U.S. Justice Department criminal probe.
Takata in February named an outside committee to develop a comprehensive restructuring plan to address the financial and operational issues related to its recall of inflators.
Japan’s statement may further increase Takata’s probable recall costs if the air bag maker is found to be responsible for the defective inflators.
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.’s Subaru, Ferrari NV and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. kicked off the USA recalls on Friday. Once replacement parts become available, Honda will provide a second notification to owners with instructions to have their affected inflator replaced at their local authorized dealer.
Most of the fatalities have been in the U.S., including a Texas teenager who died in March after her 2002 Honda Civic collided with another auto, activating a defective Takata airbag.
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Takata could be required by 2019 to recall another 50 million USA inflators with ammonium nitrate unless Takata can prove they are safe under the NHTSA agreement.
