Takata will recall 40M more airbags
WASHINGTON — Prodded by the U.S. government, Takata agreed Wednesday to add up to 40 million air bag inflators to an already massive recall, raising questions about the auto industry’s ability to produce and distribute the necessary replacement parts.
The recall of inflators that can explode with too much force and hurt people was already the largest in U.S. history at 28.8 million. But Wednesday’s announcement could raise that number as high as 69 million, a staggering task that will strain overburdened manufacturers.
The car and truck models included in the expanded recall and the number of additional vehicles affected were not immediately released but will be posted on NHTSA’s website in the coming weeks. Most of the expansion is for front passenger air bags that were not part of previous recalls, said Mark Rosekind, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“This issue is urgent,” Rosekind said, urging people to get recalled vehicles fixed as soon as parts are available.
“The science now clearly shows these inflators can become unsafe over time,” he said, referring to evidence that chemicals in the devices can degrade, especially when exposed to heat and humidity.
The expansion also entered Takata, automakers and the government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a race against time. The government said the inflators have to be replaced before they reach six years old, when the risk of rupture increases.
Even before Wednesday’s expansion, it would have taken until the end of 2017 for enough replacement parts to be manufactured, said Scott Upham, CEO of Valient Market Research in Philadelphia, which tracks air bag sales. He wasn’t sure how many more years would be needed.
Other inflator manufacturers such as TRW Automotive, Daicel and Autoliv, which already are making replacement inflators, have agreed to join Takata to produce even more, Upham said.
