Some defective Takata air bags will need to be replaced again in U.S. vehicles

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/04/us-autos-takata-replacements-idUSKBN0OK1X420150604

By Paul Lienert
June 4, 2015

At least 400,000 of the 4 million replacement inflators for defective Takata air bags will need to be replaced again in U.S. vehicles, sources at the Japanese safety equipment maker and the U.S. safety watchdog told Reuters.

Another 500,000 of those parts appear to be safe, according to U.S. safety regulators, leaving the safety of more than 3 million replacement parts in question.

But no one seems to be able to tell owners with any certainty just how many vehicles may still contain defective original or replacement parts.

Takata Corp in mid-May told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that nearly 34 million air bag inflators in the United States have the potential to rupture, sending spraying metal fragments inside vehicles. At least six deaths and hundreds of injuries are linked to ruptured inflators.

NHTSA previously had identified problems with about 17 million Takata inflators.

But it is not clear how many vehicles are equipped with defective inflators, although the number appears to be far fewer than 34 million.

An unspecified number of vehicles have Takata air bags on both driver and passenger sides - and in some cases, both may be defective. In other cases, repair parts installed in those vehicles also may be defective.

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