Takata Airbag Recall Lawyers

Automakers Recall Vehicles

In April and May of 2013, several Japanese automakers, along with BMW, recalled 3.6 million cars containing Takata airbags. In June of 2014, several additional automakers—Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mazda, Ford, and Chrysler—announced recalls of millions of additional vehicles equipped with these airbags. The recalls were issued in light of a number of reports that the airbags are prone to explode upon deployment, sending shrapnel and chemicals throughout the vehicle’s cabin, potentially resulting in severe injuries or death to drivers and passengers.

Takata Manufacturing Concerns

Takata’s defective airbags were developed in the late 1990s and placed in automobiles beginning in the 1998 model year. Takata designed these products to inflate by means of an explosive encased in a metal canister. The explosive is based on a chemical compound found in common fertilizers. Analysts say Takata’s inflating propellant is cheaper than competitors’ propellants, but it is particularly volatile. Even worse, new reports allege that Takata has known about these deadly defects for years but covered up the results of tests that showed the airbags could explode with deadly force.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Investigation

Further, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Honda for failing to promptly report incidents involving the Takata airbags installed in its vehicles. Most recently, on November 13, 2014, Takata was subpoenaed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to turn over documents related to its airbag defects. This court action comes on the heels of public statements made by federal legislators, who are now arranging investigations and hearings on the Takata airbag defects.