Takata, a renowned Japanese air bag maker, has reportedly recalled an additional of over 3.3 million faulty airbag inflators. This latest round of recalls, according to industry experts is forming a part of the largest operation of its kind in the global automotive & transportation industry.
According to reports, these recalls are being overlooked by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and are being phased over the coming three years. For the record, Takata commenced its recalls from May 2016 and will be continuing through December 2019. Sources reveal that, in consequence of this scandal, the automakers will be liable to provide paperwork of the specific models, which will be further filed with the NHTSA.
If sources are to be believed, Takata has identified at least 19 automotive industry players that have purchased the airbags, comprising Toyota, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Nissan, Subaru, BMW, Daimler Vans, Mazda, Ford, Mitsubishi, Honda, Jaguar-Land Rover, Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors. Sources have touted this recall for airbag inflators to be the largest in the history of U.S. automotive industry, which is withdrawing more than 69 million inflators in over 42 million vehicles across the globe.
Investigation reports reveal that Takata’s defective airbag inflators are easily vulnerable to explode in a crash and shower the drivers and passengers with hot shrapnel. Estimates claim that, on a global basis, around 20 people have been killed and more than 180 were reported as injured.
Experts cite that cheating scandals of this nature are not new to the automotive & transportation industry, be it Volkswagen’s “defeat devices” or Takata’s defective airbag inflators. Sources further disclose that, the scandal has forced Takata to file for bankruptcy in June 2017, owing to spiraling debts.
As per NHTSA, the organization is attentively monitoring the company’s progress and is also working on expanding good practices to boost the completion rates. The agency also revealed that, Takata’s recalls are unprecedented in complexity and size, but nonetheless have resulted in groundbreaking lessons that will aid automakers to accomplish their repair goals faster.