Takata Airbags Recalls Expanded by Toyota, Nissan and Honda
The three largest automakers in Japan, Nissan, Toyota and Honda have expanded their recalls of vehicles after new safety defects in Takata airbags were identified.
While millions of vehicles with Takata airbags were recalled in 2014 because of exploding airbags, the latest recalls concern leaky valves that may permit moisture to enter the airbags, and thereby increase their likelihood to explode dangerously.
Though the three companies were not aware of any new injuries, they preemptively issued the recalls to avoid further endangering the public.
The recalls are largely precautionary in nature, however, there have been six confirmed Takata airbag deaths that occurred in 2014. All of the vehicles involved in the fatalities were manufactured by Honda Motor Co.
Millions of vehicles are involved in the recall. Preliminary estimates suggest that more than 6.5 million vehicles have been added to the recalls by Toyota, Nissan and Honda.
Takata’s dangerous airbags have resulted in a legal headache for the company. The company is facing thousands of lawsuits, a U.S. criminal investigation and a regulatory review. The manufacturer of the airbags implicated in the recalls continues to remain defiant. Takata is currently being fined $14,000 a day by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for failures to expand the recalls of their airbags.
The company insists that national recalls are not necessary and has continued to stonewall the NHTSA and other federal regulatory agencies. Thus far, the company has been fined more than one million dollars, and the fines continue to accrue.
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