Ben Klayman Detroit
VEHICLE makers and safety regulators could take months to nail down why air bag inflators made by Takata were exploding with too much force, meaning consumers could not be certain replacement inflators installed under a sweeping recall were safe, officials involved in the process said yesterday.
Takata, 11 car makers that used its air bag technology and US safety regulators are pursuing separate efforts to determine the root cause of problems linked to at least six deaths.
A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a hearing on June 2 on the problems that lead to the recall.
Replacement inflators that were being installed might eventually need to be replaced if it turned out that the real problem was not addressed before Takata began making parts to fix about 34 million vehicles covered by the expanded US recall announced last week, several industry officials familiar with the probes said. The air bags could explode with too much force, causing shrapnel to fly out and hit drivers and passengers.
“If you don’t find out the root cause, who knows? We may have this same discussion again,” said David Kelly, a former acting National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator charged with leading a consortium of 10 car makers investigating the Takata inflators.
He did not say how soon his group would finish its work. “It is apparent to us that we have a lot of work in front of us.”
“We are confident that our new air bags are safe,” Takata said on Tuesday.
The company has organised an “independent Quality Assurance Panel” to conduct “a comprehensive review to ensure Takata’s current manufacturing procedures meet best practices”.
The Japanese supplier has been investigating air bag problems for more than seven years. – Reuters