United States Settles with Takata over Defective Airbags

Instituting a $70 million dollar fine, the United States has settled with Japanese manufacturer Takata, after the company’s airbags were found to be defective.

Japanese manufacturer, Takata, has been the subject of United States investigation due to claims that the company’s airbags are defective. Lawsuits allege that when a car comes into minor contact with another object, the airbag explodes. These explosions have resulted in metal debris from the vehicle to be projected throughout the passenger cabin, which has led to injury and death. As a result, millions of vehicles manufactured by Honda, Ford, BMW and Toyota have been recalled.

Throughout the investigation, the manufacturer has maintained that that the problem with the airbags is due in part to environmental conditions, such as humidity. However research has found that the improper storage of the explosive propellant in the airbag may have led to excessive moisture and in certain cases, to the unexpected explosions.

On November 3, 2015, the United States announced that it has reached a settlement with Takata, in which the manufacturer will be required to pay $70 million dollars to car owners and regulators affected by the defect. Read more about the Takata Airbag defect here.