It Was an Interim Fix. Now It's Being Recalled, Too

Takata's recalls 10M more front airbag inflators
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 8, 2020 10:15 AM CST
Largest Series of Auto Recalls in US Could Be Ending
This June 25, 2017, file photo shows TK Holdings Inc. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich.   (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Takata is recalling 10 million more front airbag inflators sold to 14 different automakers because they can explode with too much force and hurl shrapnel. The recall is the last one the bankrupt company agreed to in a 2015 settlement with US safety regulators. It could bring to a close the largest series of automotive recalls in US history. The 10 million inflators are part of the approximately 70 million in the US that Takata was to recall as part of the agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Vehicles made by Audi, BMW, Honda, Daimler Vans, Fiat Chrysler, Ferrari, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen are affected.

Automakers will determine what models are affected and launch their own recalls, reports the AP. The recalled inflators were used to replace dangerous ones made by Takata until a permanent remedy could be developed. Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate airbags. The chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high heat and humidity and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister and hurling shrapnel. Permanent replacements don't use ammonium nitrate. There are still a few unresolved issues: Takata had until the end of 2020 to prove that inflators using ammonium nitrate with a moisture-absorbing chemical are safe. If it can’t, Takata will have to recall millions more inflators. (The AP has much more here.)

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