Takata’s largest customer, Honda Motor Co., along with Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. – the makers of Subaru cars – have also said they will stop installing the defective air bag inflators in their vehicles.
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Ford has reportedly joined the list of automakers that have vowed to stop using Takata airbag inflators. A Ford spokesperson stated the company has recalled all automobiles with inflators that Takata has actually determined are malfunctioning. The inflators can become unstable, particularly when exposed to humid conditions over time, and explode with too much force, spewing metal fragments through a vehicle, USA regulators have said. Takata uses ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion that inflates the air bags in a crash.
Ford has recalled 1.51 million vehicles globally with Takata air bag inflators, which include all of its vehicles with inflators that Takata has recalled, a Ford spokeswoman said. As part of a deal with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Takata agreed to pay up to $200 million in penalties and speed up replacement of numerous devices already in use. The firm reduced its revenue projection for the complete year by 75%.
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Of the 23.4 million inflators recalled on 19.2 million vehicles sold by 12 automakers, it’s estimated that only 22.5% had been replaced by October 9, the Detroit Free Press reported.
