Car Parts Maker Takata to address Fatal Airbag Fault

The Japanese car parts maker, Takata, is intending to replace a chemical used in its airbags, as it tries to fix a fault that led to six deaths and multiple injuries.

The update comes in prepared remarks for US Congress.

The company said it was working to deliver airbags that do not contain ammonium nitrate propellant.

The fault has led to 34 million cars being recalled in the US, the biggest auto-safety recall in US history.

Globally, the number of vehicles affected is thought to be 53 million.

The faulty front and side airbags were found to inflate with excessive force, causing the bags to rupture and dangerous shrapnel to be thrown at the drivers, sometimes with fatal consequences.

The cause is not expected to be fully identified for some time, but some scientists suspect the ammonium nitrate may have been part of the problem, by becoming unstable over time, particularly in extreme heat and humidity.

Kevin Kennedy, Takata’s executive vice president, is set to be questioned by Congress on Tuesday about the faulty airbags.

In his prepared testimony he said the company was carrying out an “extensive testing program” and had “ramped up production of replacement kits to address the needs of these recalls”.

Takata’s airbags are used in vehicles made by 11 global manufacturers, including Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

Faults with the airbags were first detected in 2004 and the first US death linked to an airbag rupture occurred in 2009.

Source: BBC News