As many as 90 million total Takata airbags will now be recalled. Takata’s stock has taken a nose dive in light of this news and has also announced that it will be posting a 13 billion yen net loss for the previous quarter.
U.S. transport has called for the additional recalls. The Takata airbags at the center of this issue can explode more violently than is safe, causing dangerous or even fatal shrapnel discharges. Eleven deaths have been caused by the faulty airbags and over 100 injuries. Ten of the deaths occurred in the United States.
Initial recalls were focused in humid states, as it was believed that the ignition could be wrongly triggered in part by humid conditions. As time has gone on, affected airbags in all 50 states have been recalled.
Making this recall more difficult is the fact that typically automakers, not airbag makers, are responsible for recalling faulty airbags. Many of the affected Takata airbags are housed in Honda cars, especially in the United States. Although the automakers have responsibility for the initial cost of the recall, it is very likely that they will pressure Takata to help them recoup lost profits.
In light of this additional recall, Honda has begun a recall of its vehicles affected. Models being recalled include various model years of the Accord, Civic, CR-V, Odyssey, Pilot and more. Visit their website for a full list, including Acura cars affected. Honda is urging all affected drivers to visit an authorized dealership for repair as soon as possible. Takata airbag repairs will be done at no cost.
This airbag recall is the largest safety recall in the history of the United States. Approximately 40 million cars will be affected by the faulty ignition in the Takata airbag inflators. Takata is expected to face charges from the United States government. In addition, they are currently facing a class action lawsuit along with Honda over the faulty and fatal airbags.
