Takata Seat Belts Might Soon Be Subject to Recall

The automotive company taking over the Takata seat belts division says it uncovered reporting inaccuracies that could result in widespread recalls to prevent or correct a dangerous vehicle defect.

Joyson Safety Systems, a Chinese automotive supplier based in the U.S., picked up what was left of Takata in 2018 after it went through bankruptcy. The operations included a Takata seat belts division, which Joyson has been assessing since it acquired the business, according to news reports. That assessment has uncovered inaccuracies in more than 20 years’ worth of “testing data for seat belt webbing … suggesting the numbers might have been altered intentionally,” NBC News reported earlier this month.

Warnings Go Out About Possible Takata Seat Belts Recall

Japanese officials are also aware of Joyson’s findings and have warned car makers to be prepared for a potentially massive recall, possibly involving as many as two million cars, The Nikkei, a Japanese news agency, reported.

“The automotive supplier formerly known as Takata delivered as many as 9 million seat belts that do not meet quality standards to domestic customers,” The Nikkei reported. “Nikkei also learned Thursday that [Takata] falsified data on belts for child safety seats.”

Reuters reported Oct. 16 that an official in charge of recall orders at Japan’s transportation ministry said the agency hasn’t settled on a concrete number of cars that might be affected and that the Japanese are still investigating. The source told Reuters the Japanese agency expects to alert officials in other countries that have imported Takata seat belts when the investigation is complete.

An estimated 30% of cars produced in Japan and 40% in the U.S. include Takata seat belt material.

Takata’s Tragic History and Downfall

Takata is no stranger to recalls on safety equipment.

The company is infamous for manufacturing defective air bags, which have caused a total of 17 deaths and more than 200 serious injuries in the U.S. since 2000. The most recent fatality occurred in Arizona in August.

Nine other people have been reported killed by exploding Takata air bag systems in Malaysia and Australia.

All but two of the deadly explosions have taken place in Honda Civics produced in and around 2002. Hondas from that era are considered “Alpha” models with Takata front air bags – on the drivers and passengers sides – “that are most likely to rupture during a crash and shoot shrapnel from the inflator into the car’s occupants,” Car and Driver reports.

A total of 19 auto makers put Takata air bags in their vehicles, all of which were ultimately subjected to a recall, “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

Takata had been a hugely successful player in the global market for automotive supplies and parts and was one of the largest suppliers of automotive safety equipment before the extent of the problem with the company’s air bags was made public starting around 2014.

To this day, the world’s biggest car brands are still working to replace Takata air bags in cars they manufactured between the early 2000s and 2014. More than 70 million of the dangerously defective air bag systems were installed in the U.S.

Takata pleaded guilty in U.S. court to criminal wrongdoing related to the manufacture and sales of the defective air bags – specifically misleading clients with inaccurate safety test data on the air bag. The company agreed to pay $1 billion in fines, then filed for bankruptcy four months later.

Joyson’s Investigation and Options

Joyson Safety Systems says it has been analyzing testing data from tests on Takata seat belt webbing conducted at the company’s former plant in Hikone, Japan, and “has found evidence that the company altered results when it found belt webbing produced there didn’t meet legal standards,” NBC News reported.

The company put out a statement about the matter on its own website, saying although it has not identified any “related field issues,” the investigation is ongoing.

“JSS is currently reviewing available and relevant data over a 20-year period on a test-by-test and product-by-product basis, which is a substantial undertaking,” the company’s statement said. “JSS is focused on clarifying the issues with urgency to identify the causes and take appropriate corrective measures.”

Representatives from Toyota and Honda, among others, have said they are aware of the Takata seat belt inquiry and are awaiting more information.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed to TheDetroitBureau.com, an automotive news website, that it is also aware of the Takata seat belts investigation in Japan.

“If NHTSA finds that this belt webbing leads to noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or otherwise represents an unreasonable risk to public safety, the agency will not hesitate to take appropriate action,” an agency statement said.

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