US expand Takata recall by five million
Regulators in the USA have expanded the recall of vehicles with defective Takata airbags by five million.
This latest development adds to the large-scale recall of vehicles fitted with Takata bags. In all, 28 million vehicles worldwide have been affected, with 24 million of the vehicles recalled from the United States.
The increase comes after a tenth death was linked to faults with the company’s airbags. The Associated Press reported that the investigation into the death of a driver in South Carolina in December 2015 concluded the airbag of his Ford Ranger exploded after the vehicle struck an obstacle. The incident makes it the first fatality linked to the airbags not to involve a Honda vehicle.
Further testing by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed cars from brands not previously affected by recalls were subject to the same potential dangers.
The defect in the airbag sees metal and glass sprayed around the inside of affected vehicles following a collision. As well as ten fatalities, over 100 people worldwide have reportedly suffered injuries linked to the issue.
Takata has previously been fined $70 million by the US government and could be subject to further fines, depending on the finding of further violations.
