Takata’s faulty airbag inflators have been confirmed to be the cause of multiple accidents and they have proven to be a headache for car manufacturers that used them because they’ve had to recall millions of cars to fix the faulty inflators. There doesn’t seem to be an end to the recall as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said that 85 million additional Takata airbags are fitted in American cars that might need to be recalled if the company can’t prove their safety.
The recall has been going on since 2014. More than 28 million Takata inflators fitted in 24 million cars have already been recalled as they were at risk of exploding and sending metal or glass shrapnel at passengers inside the car. Takata’s recalled inflators have been linked to 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries, so it’s not exactly an isolated event.
The 28 million airbag recall is already the largest automotive recall in the history of the United States and if the company is not able to prove the security of these additional units, then the number will only go higher. Takata has to pay billions of dollars as the cost to replace inflators come in at about $100 and this is beside any damages that it might have to pay in lawsuits.
Major car manufacturers like Honda and Toyota sourced airbag inflators from Takata, millions of their cars have been recalled due to the faulty inflators, and they’ve now switched to other suppliers.