Neither Honda nor Takata admitted before now that an inflator safety defect exists. Nor is there a way to quantify how many lives were saved by the airbags.
Honda said today in Tokyo that it is expanding its Takata airbag inflator recall. The inflators could rupture when deployed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants since this sends shrapnel into the interior. This follows announcements by Toyota and Nissan that they are also expanding their Takata recalls. More than 25 million Takata inflators are now recalled. At least six deaths and more than 100 injuries have been linked to the global safety defect.
NHTSA is fining Takata $14,000 a day for what it says is Takata’s slow response to the deadly problem. Former NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly is now serving as project manager for ten automakers that have hired Orbital ATK to conduct independent testing on Takata airbag inflators.
The automakers – BMW, FCA US, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota – are doing their own testing by supplementing current airbag inflator testing being undertaken by Takata.
Honda, Toyota and Takata websites are mum on the latest developments in this grave safety matter. Due to the size of the defective vehicle population with Takata inflators, suppliers TRW, Daicel and Autoliv are now supplying automakers with inflators that replace Takata built ones.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. said that it is expanding its recalls involving Takata air bag inflators. Toyota will replace Takata-supplied driver front airbag inflators on 160,000 model year 2004 and 2005 RAV4 sport utility vehicles. The inflators could potentially be susceptible to rupture when deployed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants since it sends shrapnel into the interior.
Toyota will expand two existing recalls for Takata front-passenger airbag inflators:
• Toyota’s nationwide recall launched in April 2013 will expand to include approximately an additional 177,000 model year 2003-2004 Tundra and model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles.
• Toyota’s recall in areas of high absolute humidity launched in 2014 will expand to include approximately an additional 300,000 vehicles built through the 2006 or 2007 model year. This recall will now cover additional vehicles within model years 2005-2007 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, and Sequoia; model years 2005-2006 Tundra; and model years 2005-2007 Lexus SC. Areas of high absolute humidity encompass Coastal Areas around the Gulf of Mexico for Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana; and Florida, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii.
