Takata Corporation Overview
Takata Corporation was established by its founder, Takezo Takada in 1933 as a textile manufacturing entity in Japan. Since its inception, Takata Corporation has been in the safety business starting with the manufacture of lifelines. Today Takata Corporation has expanded across the globe with 56 manufacturing plants in 20 countries. The product line has expanded as well. Takata produces motor vehicle seat belts, airbags, steering wheels, interior trims and child restraint systems.
Airbag Products
Takata Corporation is a major manufacturer of airbag products. The global giant produces airbags from concept to completed product replete with the necessary operating controls, sensing technologies as well as the cushion textile components.
How does it work?
Takata Corporation manufacturers the following airbags for motor vehicles:
- driver
- curtain
- passenger
- knee
- side airbags
The airbags operate via sensing technology and are built to deploy in .005 seconds of collision impact to ensure the safety of all the individuals inside the vehicle. The sensing technology is designed to interpret the severity of the impending impact to determine whether or not the airbag will deploy. Accordingly, the technology must be accurate to the millisecond to be effective in preventing severe injury.
Motorcycle airbags are installed on the back of the gas tank and are positioned between the handlebar and the rider when deployed. Because the motorcycle rider does not have on a seatbelt, the airbag is positioned also to reduce the forward motion of the rider upon impact with any object or the road itself.
Automakers that use Takata Corporation Airbags
- BMW
- Fiat
- Chrysler
- Ford
- General Motors
- Honda
- Mazda
- Mitsubishi
- Nissan
- Subaru
- Toyota
- Daimler Trucks
Defective Airbag Recall
On May 18, 2015 Takata Corporation launched what is the largest international recall in history when they announced that there was a defect in the operation component of some of their airbags that can cause the airbag to explode and send shrapnel onto the vehicle passengers.
How can I find out if my car has a defective airbag?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is compiling a full list of the recalled vehicles, NHTSA is also establishing a website wherein you would be able to enter your vehicle identification number and learn if your car may have the defective airbags.
The CNN Money website has provided a link to assist car owners in learning if their car is on the current recall listing, https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/20/autos/takata-recall-list/index.html?iid=EL.
It is important to continue to check the listing for the next several weeks to ensure that your vehicle has not been added to the listing as the compilation is a work in progress.
