Takata is recalling another 2.7 million air bag inflators
Takata Recalls Another 2.7 Million Airbag Inflators
Auburn Hills, Mich. – A new Takata recall involves millions of units. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said new testing is forcing Takata Corp to recall an additional 2.7 million airbag inflators.
Airbags containing Takata pieces are prone to explode during vehicle crashes as they inflate. This latest recall concerns newer Takata inflators previously thought to be safe.
The inflators in the current Takata recall contain a chemical, ammonium nitrate, that is supposed to reduce the risk of deadly explosions. While Takata said it wasn’t aware of any ruptured inflators that use the chemical, new testing indicated the chemical evaporates over time. There is a “future risk of inflator rupture,” Takata noted in its filings.
“Based upon Takata’s investigation to date, the potential for such ruptures may occur in some of the subject inflators after several years of exposure to persistent conditions of high absolute humidity,” the NHTSA filing said.
Ford, Nissan and Mazda vehicles contain the defective parts in the latest recall. The NHTSA did not specify which models. They involve driver-side airbags built from 2005 to 2012.
Reuters reports that the bulk of the newest recall will involve Ford vehicles. The news organization says Ford plans to recall 2.2 million vehicles. It also reports Nissan will recall 627,000 Versa cars. Only 6,000 Mazda B-series trucks are affected.
On Going Trouble
Defective Takata parts have resulted in 18 deaths and 180 injuries worldwide. Of all of the fatalities, 16 have occurred in Honda vehicles.
On Monday, Honda Motors Co. confirmed the 11th death in the U.S. as a result of faulty Takata parts in one of its cars. The victim was repairing a 2001 Honda Accord when the airbag exploded.
Currently, car manufacturers will recall nearly 68 million inflators through 2019. Analysts predict that more than 125 million airbags with Takata components worldwide will have to be recalled eventually. That number includes more than 60 million in the U.S.
So far, US car owners have replaced only 36 percent of the recalled airbags.
The predicament is the largest automotive recall in history. In June, Takata Corp declared bankruptcy.
