Takata airbag inflators were originally recalled because they can explode with too much force, spraying metal shrapnel into the cabin.
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Faulty Takata airbag inflators have been linked to least 10 deaths in the U.S. and one in Malaysia. Outside of the U.S., FCA estimates that another 933,000 of its vehicles are affected by the Takata airbag inflator recall, including models not sold in North America. The additional recalls aren’t surprising in light of this month’s Takata news – another 35 million to 40 million inflators will be added to the recall list over the new couple of years.
According to a report in Reuters by Naomi Tajitsu, “Japan’s transport ministry said on Friday automakers will recall about an additional 7 million cars equipped with Takata Corp air bag inflators without a drying agent by March 2019, bringing the total recalled in the country to 19.6 million cars”.
The actions come as Takata is reportedly in discussions with private equity firm KKR, which is said to be weighing a plan to overhaul the troubled Japanese supplier despite the enormous costs of the recall. Japan’s transport ministry said Friday that automakers will recall approximately seven million more vehicles there, so the global total is now approaching 70 million.
The airbag recall was caused by a chemical malfunction in the airbag inflators.
Takata and the automakers say there are no reports of any ruptures involving the vehicles in the latest recall.
The new recalls are the result of increasingly aggressive US auto safety regulators.
Automakers face challenges obtaining enough replacement parts and getting owners to fix their cars.
Toyota Canada and Honda Canada both said the most recent recall doesn’t affect any vehicles that haven’t already been the subject of earlier Takata-related recalls.
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In November, Takata agreed to pay a $70 million fine for safety violations and NHTSA named a former federal prosecutor as an independent monitor to oversee the massive recalls.
