Air-Bag Recall expands to 34 million cars as Takata admits defects

In the largest automotive recall in US history, it has been decided that car makers will fix faulty air bags in around 34 million vehicles after Japanese parts supplier Takata Corp. bowed to pressure from regulators on Tuesday.

The move has doubled the number of vehicles already targeted by the recall, which has aimed at repairing malfunctioning air-bag inflaters that can explode and send shrapnel flying into cars.

The recall is expected to be conducted by up to 11 auto makers, would be one of the largest actions for any industry. In the early 1980s, around 31 million bottles of Tylenol were recalled.

Suspect air bags have been found in everything from sport-utility vehicles made by Honda Motor Co. to autos produced by Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Co. and Daimler AG trucks. Vehicles equipped with the faulty Takata air bags have represented around 14% of the nearly 250 million vehicles on US roads.

On Tuesday, auto-safety regulators said that Takata has admitted for the first time that there are defects in the company’s air-bag inflaters.

Takata has filed four reports with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The reports said that inflater propellants can alter over time and lead to ‘over-aggressive combustion’. The upshot was that the air bags can explode with too much force. So far, six deaths and over 100 injuries have been linked to the problem.

Furthermore, Takata has also signed a consent order issued by auto-safety regulators under which the company is required to cooperate with ongoing investigations and oversight.

At present, owners will have to wait for some days to hear from auto makers that which models have been covered by the latest recalls, and when they can expect repairs. It could take months or years for the affected vehicles to get fixed while Takata is attempting to produce sufficient parts and dealerships attend to an influx of repair requests.