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A Cheaper Airbag, and Takata’s Road to a Deadly Crisis
Keywords: Takata, Airbags, Honda Recall,
A Swedish supplier Autoliv's scientists say GM in the late 1990's asked the supplier to match Takata's airbag that saved several dollars per airbag. The problem say the scientists at Autoliv was that the Takata airbag that was made at lower cost used a dangerous volatile compound. Autoliv cited here by Tabuchi of the NYT, says it refused to do this. Years later 100 million of the Takata airbags are installed on cars in the U.S. made by GM and other automakers. The chemical ammonium nitrate used by Takata is still being used to make airbags with modifications to reduce its explosiveness. In this indepth account Tabuchi looks at the evidence against using ammonium nitrate, the warnings that were not heeded from Autoliv, and the work of Italian and other scientists that confirm the explosiveness of the substance when exposed to temperature and moisture changes. Here Tabuchi cites reports from suppliers of the nitrate who were hesitant to supply the substance to Takata because of liability issues. And he points out that there was manipulation of testing quality control for the defective airbags that passed the test, so that in addition to the use of the faulty chemical, the company failed to maintain strict quality control as required by the automakers. The pressure from automakers for cost reduction is given as one of the reasons for the problem, just as the pressure from BP to cut costs led to some of the faulty work done by suppliers at oil wells leading to explosions on a oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Before the approval of the faulty chemical for airbags Takata airbag business was in dire straits leading to management looking for ways to develop a viable business, as other propellants had failed to deliver results. It is at that point that Takata approved ammonium nitrate despite evidence of its explosiveness that led to TRW, another airbag maker, to reject it.
Honda's handling of the defective Takata airbag issues in 2014-2015
11/24/2014
The flawed handling included inadequate reporting of the number of people affected in airbag incidents.
Grouped Articles
Honda Failed to Report Defects’ Full Human Toll
New York Times 11/24/2014
Honda CEO Rethinks Car Maker’s Priorities
Wall Street Journal 12/05/2014
Honda in Japan Distances Itself From Fine on U.S. Subsidiary
New York Times 01/09/2015
Honda Names Takahiro Hachigo New President
Wall Street Journal 02/23/2015
Honda Recalls Nearly 5 Million Vehicles With Takata Airbags
New York Times 05/14/2015
Takata Air-Bag Recalls Expand to 34 Million Cars in the U.S.
Wall Street Journal 05/19/2015
Takata management
11/18/2014
Grouped Articles
Defective Takata Airbag Grows Into Global Problem for Manufacturer
New York Times 11/18/2014
Takata’s Switch to Cheaper Airbag Propellant Is at Center of Crisis
New York Times 11/19/2014
Takata Learned Early of Air-Bag Problems
Wall Street Journal 11/20/2014
In Takata Shake-Up, President Is Out as Founder’s Grandson Expands Role
New York Times 12/24/2014
Takata Expects Return to Profit Despite Facing Airbag Lawsuits
New York Times 05/08/2015
Toyota, Nissan Recall Over 6 Million Vehicles Over Takata Air Bags
Wall Street Journal 05/14/2015
U.S. Senate Commerce Committee report in June 2015 on Takata airbags- showing Takata stopped global safety audits 2009-2011 for financial reasons
06/19/2015
Grouped Articles
Senate Minority Report Faults Takata
Wall Street Journal 06/23/2015
Takata Is Said to Have Stopped Safety Audits as Cost-Saving Move
New York Times 06/22/2015
Federal Auditor Finds Broad Failures at N.H.T.S.A.
New York Times 06/19/2015
Lawmakers Spread Anger in Recalls Over Airbags
New York Times 06/23/2015
New York Times 10/22/2015
Takata Shares Fall 25% as More Auto Makers Follow Honda’s Footsteps
Wall Street Journal 11/05/2015
Takata's handling of airbag problems and Congressional scrutiny in the U.S.
11/20/2014
Grouped Articles
Takata Learned Early of Air-Bag Problems
Wall Street Journal 11/20/2014
In Takata Shake-Up, President Is Out as Founder’s Grandson Expands Role
New York Times 12/24/2014
Takata Expects Return to Profit Despite Facing Airbag Lawsuits
New York Times 05/08/2015
Toyota, Nissan Recall Over 6 Million Vehicles Over Takata Air Bags
Wall Street Journal 05/14/2015
Honda Recalls Nearly 5 Million Vehicles With Takata Airbags
New York Times 05/14/2015
Takata Air-Bag Recalls Expand to 34 Million Cars in the U.S.
Wall Street Journal 05/19/2015
Honda Takata airbag inquiry in 2014
11/03/2014
Grouped Articles
Investigation of Honda Centers on Failure to Report Deaths From Takata Airbags
New York Times 11/03/2014
Takata Offers Its Rebuttal to Report of Secret Airbag Tests
New York Times 11/12/2014
U.S. Seeks Nationwide Recall of Takata Air Bags
Wall Street Journal 11/19/2014
Honda Failed to Report Defects’ Full Human Toll
New York Times 11/24/2014
Honda CEO Rethinks Car Maker’s Priorities
Wall Street Journal 12/05/2014
Honda in Japan Distances Itself From Fine on U.S. Subsidiary
New York Times 01/09/2015
Honda's break with Takata and the Takata emails
01/04/2016
Grouped Articles
Takata Emails Show Brash Exchanges About Data Tampering
New York Times 01/04/2016
A Cheaper Airbag, and Takata’s Road to a Deadly Crisis
The New York Times 08/26/2016
Takata, Unable to Overcome Airbag Crisis, Files for Bankruptcy Protection
The New York Times 06/26/2017
With 54 Million to Go, This Airbag Recall Is Never Going To End
WSJ 06/26/2017
Cost savings for propellant and the Takata airbag crisis
11/19/2014
Grouped Articles
Takata’s Switch to Cheaper Airbag Propellant Is at Center of Crisis
New York Times 11/19/2014
Takata Learned Early of Air-Bag Problems
Wall Street Journal 11/20/2014
Takata Expects Return to Profit Despite Facing Airbag Lawsuits
New York Times 05/08/2015
Toyota, Nissan Recall Over 6 Million Vehicles Over Takata Air Bags
Wall Street Journal 05/14/2015
Honda Recalls Nearly 5 Million Vehicles With Takata Airbags
New York Times 05/14/2015
Takata Air-Bag Recalls Expand to 34 Million Cars in the U.S.
Wall Street Journal 05/19/2015
Takata's manufacturing processes and ineffective quality control
02/03/2016
Grouped Articles
Takata Lacks Processes for Tackling Air-Bag Defects, Panel Says
Wall Street Journal 02/03/2016
A Cheaper Airbag, and Takata’s Road to a Deadly Crisis
The New York Times 08/26/2016
Takata, Unable to Overcome Airbag Crisis, Files for Bankruptcy Protection
The New York Times 06/26/2017
With 54 Million to Go, This Airbag Recall Is Never Going To End
WSJ 06/26/2017
Japan's Transport Ministry and the Takata Airbag investigation
11/21/2014
Grouped Articles
Japan Orders Takata to Investigate Flawed Airbags
New York Times 11/21/2014
In Takata Shake-Up, President Is Out as Founder’s Grandson Expands Role
New York Times 12/24/2014
Takata Expects Return to Profit Despite Facing Airbag Lawsuits
New York Times 05/08/2015
Toyota, Nissan Recall Over 6 Million Vehicles Over Takata Air Bags
Wall Street Journal 05/14/2015
Honda Recalls Nearly 5 Million Vehicles With Takata Airbags
New York Times 05/14/2015
Takata Air-Bag Recalls Expand to 34 Million Cars in the U.S.
Wall Street Journal 05/19/2015
Deaths related to Takata airbags reported in the media
06/13/2015
Grouped Articles
Takata Air Bag Cited in Louisiana Death
Wall Street Journal 06/13/2015
Airbag Death in Honda Rental Car Reveals a Gap
New York Times 06/19/2015
Takata Executive Says Air-Bag Death Toll Could Rise
Wall Street Journal 06/24/2015
Takata Shares Fall 25% as More Auto Makers Follow Honda’s Footsteps
Wall Street Journal 11/05/2015
In Honda’s Rebuke of Takata, a Rare Move for Business Partners in Japan
New York Times 11/04/2015
Takata’s Faulty Airbags Still Exact Toll as Recalls Lag
New York Times 01/30/2016
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