Takata Expands Recall List By Millions

A tenth fatality has been linked to faulty Takata airbags, prompting the recall of millions of additional vehicle sold in the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced.

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind had signaled the likelihood of a further expansion of the Takata recall in mid-January. The agency has since revealed that U.S. recalls, on the whole, hit a new record in 2015, with the problem with the Japanese supplier’s airbags a major reason why.

Up to now, 23 million airbag inflators produced by Takata were targeted, impacting 19 million vehicles. The new recall involves another five million inflators, but NHTSA could not immediately say how many vehicles are affected.

The latest announcement covers eight different manufacturers: Ford, Volkswagen, Honda, Daimler, Audi, Mazda, Saab, and BMW. Some have used the Takata inflators in models sold by multiple brands. NHTSA confirms a tenth driver was killed as a result of the Takata defect, which can cause airbags to inflate over-aggressively following a crash. That, in turn, can send shrapnel flying into the passenger compartment.

While most of the prior deaths have involved Honda vehicles, the latest occurred when a 2006 Ford Ranger pickup ran off the road in North Carolina and hit an obstruction.

NHTSA has been pressing all of the automakers who have done business with Takata to see if they have used any of the inflators thought to be at risk.

In turn, the agency is now advising motorists to check to see if their vehicles are on the known recall list. They can go either to the NHTSA website, SaferCar.gov, or to the websites operated by individual manufacturers.

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