Takata says up to 40M more air bags must be recalled; Hawaii sues on consumers' behalf
Adding to the largest recall in U.S. auto safety history, Japanese manufacturer Takata Corp. on Monday said it was recalling an additional 14 million air bags in vehicles in this country because of defective inflators.
The auto part manufacturer told Reuters that up to 40 million air bags would need to be recalled through 2019, in addition to the 28.8 million which have already been recalled. This 14 million was the first part of that expanded recall. The defect, which is reportedly exacerbated by humid conditions, could result in metal shrapnel striking those in the vehicle if the air bag deploys and the inflator breaks apart, according to Reuters. More than a dozen deaths, most of them in the U.S., have been linked to the defect and over 100 people have been injured.
Meanwhile, on Friday the first suit by a state against Takata was filed in Hawaii, another Reuters article reports. The complaint accuses Takata and Honda Motor Co. of a cover-up and seeks a $10,000 penalty for every vehicle that has been affected.
“We’re not going to sit back and wait for more accidents to happen,” Stephen Levins, serves as the state’s consumer protection director, told the New York Times (reg. req.). “We’re also seeking that consumers be compensated for any losses associated with this incident, whether that’s alternative transportation costs, or a diminished value of their vehicle.”
He said Takata knew and Honda should have known that ammonium nitrate used to power the air bags is unstable, reports the Associated Press.
“Clearly Takata has engaged in a deceptive manner in marketing this, and actually has put profits, their own profits, over the personal welfare and safety of people around the United States, and around the world, and people here in Hawaii.” Levins said. “It’s a situation that’s intolerable, and we’re not going to put up with it.”
Representatives of both defendants declined a request for comment by Reuters. Honda said it has not yet received a copy of the complaint in the case.
A federal court in Miami, Florida, has been overseeing consolidated litigation filed by individual plaintiffs.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Air bag maker Takata’s expanded recall of nearly 34M vehicles is largest ever”
ABAJournal.com: “New issue in Takata air bag recall: Are replacements safe?”
ABAJournal.com: “Air-bag maker Takata agrees to pay $70M penalty; company is accused of facilitating ‘massive crisis’”
