TOKYO-Japan ordered auto makers to recall up to seven million more vehicles equipped with rupture-prone Takata Corp. air bags, the transport ministry said.
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Earlier this month, Takata declared that as many as 40 million airbag inflators are defective, affecting 17 automakers in total.
The recalls are among the first unveiled by automakers since Takata agreed May 4 to the recall expansion, and more will be announced in the coming week.
But the chemical can deteriorate over time if exposed to heat and humidity and burn faster than designed, causing metal canisters created to contain the explosion to blow apart and hurtling hot shrapnel inside vehicles.
Fiat Chrysler said Friday it is also recalling 933,000 vehicles sold outside the United States for Takata inflators. Before Friday’s announcement, 28.8 million airbags had been recalled in 24 million vehicles.
Mark Rosekind, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speaks during a news conference on Takata airbags at the Department of Transportation, May 4, 2016 in Washington, DC.
The U.S. has been particularly hard-hit by the recalls, but isn’t the only nation affected.
Toyota and Nissan Motor Co. are expanding their recalls over problem air bags made by Japanese supplier Takata Corp.
Given that many automakers were affected by the supply of faulty air bags, part of the plan upon buyout is to negotiate the shouldering of these enormous costs involved with replacement of the aforementioned products.
Faced with huge costs of the recalls and penalties, Takata is seeking a solution that allow it to remain in business.
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Takata could be required by 2019 to recall another 50 million US inflators with ammonium nitrate unless Takata can prove they are safe under the NHTSA agreement. It faces lawsuits around the world.
