The number of vehicles in the U.S. equipped with rupture-prone
Takata Corp. air bags being recalled doubled to 34 million,
according to a person familiar with the matter, deepening a safety
crisis at the Japanese manufacturer that has been tied to six
deaths world-wide.
In all, the air bag recalls are expected to register among the
largest for a consumer product in U.S. history, eclipsing 31
million bottles of Tylenol capsules recalled after the medicine was
linked to cyanide poisonings in the early 1980s. With Takata air
bags, at least 10 auto makers have been conducting their own
recalls of millions of vehicles apiece to deal with faulty
inflaters.
Takata, under pressure from U.S. auto-safety regulators, will
declare its air-bag inflaters defective, the person said. Takata
has agreed to a nationwide recall of certain types of driver- and
passenger-side air bag inflaters, the person said. Regulators have
also issued a consent order to Takata that requires the company to
cooperate in future government actions related to ongoing probes
and oversight of the air-bag supplier, the person said.
The actions, expected to be disclosed by regulators later on
Tuesday, expand recalls of 16 million Takata passenger-side air-bag
inflaters that are currently limited to regions with high humidity
to the entire U.S., the person said. A current nationwide recall of
driver-side inflaters is being expanded to 17 million vehicles, the
person said.
The age of the inflaters and their geographic location are
expected to be considered when prioritizing fixing the vehicles,
the person said. Takata has said areas of high humidity are more
prone to suffering problems with the air bags.
The Takata inflaters are made with a propellant that can degrade
over time, causing air bags to explode and send shrapnel flying in
vehicles. Takata and a group of 10 auto makers are separately
conducting investigations to determine the root cause of the
air-bag ruptures. High humidity and moisture have been linked to
the problem.
The air-bag ruptures have sparked widespread lawsuits, a
regulatory probe and a Justice Department investigation.
Write to Mike Spector at mike.spector@wsj.com
Access Investor Kit for Takata Corp.
Visit
http://www.companyspotlight.com/partner?cp_code=P479&isin=JP3457000002
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires