More than 28 million Takata airbags have already been recalled after they were found to deploy with such force that pieces of shrapnel shoot at drivers and passengers. Regulators now say that figure could increase by 84 million airbags if the Japanese auto parts maker can’t prove other inflators are safe. [More]
airbags
BMW Recalls, Stops Sale Of Some New Sedans Because Airbags Should Deploy In A Crash
By 4.14.16
BMW is no stranger to airbag issues as one of more than a dozen carmakers dealing with the massive Takata airbag defect. Now, though, the company is working to resolved a different airbag issue by recalling more than 6,000 sedans and issuing a stop sale on the vehicles, which contain safety devices that may not deploy when needed. [More]
Honda Recalls 11K Sedans Because They Contain The Wrong Airbag
By 4.11.16
Over the past several years, Honda has recalled nearly eight million vehicles equipped with Takata airbags that can shoot shrapnel at drivers and passengers upon deployment. While replacing those safety devices, the carmaker discovered that some vehicles were fitted with the incorrect front passenger airbags. [More]
Airplane Seat Maker Files Patent For First Class Airbags
By 4.7.16
Travelers willing to shell out the big bucks for seats in the business class cabin typically get a few extra perks: dinner, free drinks, more legroom, and the first crack at boarding. But should they get an airbag when their fellow passengers don’t? That appears to be the idea behind a recently filed patent. [More]
Tenth Takata-Related Death Reported In Texas
By 4.6.16
The death last month of a Texas driver has been ruled to be the tenth in the U.S. — eleventh worldwide — related to the massive recall of Takata airbags that can shoot shrapnel at drivers and passengers upon deployment. [More]
Ford Recalls 48,300 Vehicles Over Fire Hazard, Airbag Deployment Issues
By 4.1.16
Incorrectly positioned airbags, heaters that can cause a fire, and parking brakes that can fail. Those are three things you probably don’t want to occur in your vehicle. But for thousands of Ford owners it’s a possibility and the carmaker has issued three recalls to fix things. [More]
BMW Gets Extension To Come Up With Takata Replacement Parts
By 3.25.16
Automakers of cars equipped with defective Takata airbags have just a week to stockpile enough replacement parts to fix the vehicles deemed to be the most at risk for a rupture. That is, all of the carmakers beside BMW, which now has five additional months, after tests of its chosen replacement parts failed safety tests. [More]
Toyota Recalls Nearly 200,000 More Vehicles Equipped With Takata Airbags
By 3.2.16
The often criticized piecemeal approach to recalling vehicles equipped with shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags continued today as Toyota announced the recall of nearly 200,000 cars in the U.S. [More]
Senate Report Claims Takata Falsified Data On Airbag Inflators
By 2.24.16
Less than a month after an independent review panel hired by Takata — the company behind the ongoing recall of millions of defective, potentially dangerous, airbags — found that the Japanese auto parts maker lacks quality control processes and policies to address defects, a Senate panel report backed up the findings and found the company falsified some test data about certain airbag components. [More]
Investigators: Deadly Takata Airbag Explosions Caused By Mix Of 3 Factors
By 2.23.16
For nearly a year, federal regulators and researchers have pointed the finger at the volatile chemical ammonium nitrate found in Takata-produced airbags as the reason the safety devices can rupture with such violence that pieces of shrapnel are sent flying at drivers and passengers. Today, a consortium of 10 automakers are expected to announce that the chemical is just one factor in the deadly defect. [More]
Takata Airbag Recall Could Expand To Cover 90M Units
By 2.22.16
The nation’s largest vehicle recall could soon be even bigger: federal safety regulators are currently discussing the possibility of expanding Takata’s shrapnel-shooting airbag recall to cover another 70 million to 90 million inflators. [More]
Regulators Close Probe Into Kia Airbag System That Fails To Detect Children In The Front Seat
By 2.15.16
Five months after federal regulators opened a probe into airbag mats that fail to detect when a child is present in the front seat of certain Kia sedans, the agency announced it would close the investigation without seeking a recall of the affected vehicles. [More]
Volkswagen Begrudgingly Complied With Regulators’ Request For Takata Airbag Recall
By 2.12.16
Earlier this week, Volkswagen announced the recall of 840,000 Audi and VW-branded vehicles equipped with shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags. But according to documents recently posted by regulators, the already embattled carmaker resisted the safety initiative. [More]
New Airbag Recall Involves 5 Million Vehicles From Honda, Chrysler, Kia & Others
By 2.4.16
Another auto parts maker has kicked off a massive recall thanks to potentially defective airbags. This time, it’s Continental Automotive Systems, which has alerted federal regulators that some 5 million vehicles produced by a half-dozen car companies may contain airbags that could deploy inadvertently or fail to deploy in a crash.
[More]
Panel: Takata Lacks Quality Control Processes, Policies For Addressing Defects
By 2.3.16
An independent review panel hired by Takata — the company behind the ongoing recall of millions of defective, potentially dangerous, airbags — found that the parts maker lacks processes to improve the quality of its products, or to adequately address problems in its devices once they are installed in vehicles.
[More]
Reports: Takata CEO Will Offer To Resign Tomorrow
By 1.28.16
After 25 million vehicles containing its airbags have been recalled, tomorrow the Japanese auto parts supplier Takata will present its business plans to its carmaker clients. According to company sources, CEO Shigehisa Takada and other top executives will offer to resign from the company. Theres no successor in place ready to take over if the automakers do ask him to resign. Update: Takata now says that the CEO does not plan to resign. [More]
After Takata Airbag Death, Ford Recalls 391K Ranger Trucks
By 1.26.16
Just days after federal regulators said another five million vehicles would be recalled because of defective, shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags, Ford has stepped up to announce that this recall now includes 391,000 Ranger trucks. [More]
Takata Airbag Recall Increases By 5 Million, Ninth U.S. Death Reported
By 1.22.16
The December death of a Georgia man prompted federal regulators to increase by five million the number of vehicles recalled because of defective Takata airbags that can shoot shrapnel at drivers and passengers upon deployment. [More]
