Takata Settlement Reached Over Airbag Issues

A Takata settlement has been reached with TK Holdings over allegations of concealed safety issues.

The settlement, reached between 44 states and the District of Columbia and TK Holdings, the U.S. subsidiary of Takata, concludes the investigation into Takata’s failure to timely disclose known safety defects associated with certain airbag inflators.

Takata’s faulty airbags were installed in a wide variety of vehicles from 19 different automakers. At least 20 people have died worldwide and hundreds more have been injured as a result of the defective air bags. Car brands affected include, Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge/Ram, Ferrari, Ford, GMC, Honda, Jeep, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen. A full list of vehicle makes and models affected by the Takata recall can be seen on the Takata airbag recall investigation page.

Beginning in 2009, auto manufacturers issued recalls surrounding the airbag’s inflator. The inflator could allegedly degrade and erupt in a crash, sending shards and shrapnel from the airbag throughout the car.

More than 50 million airbags in more than 37 million vehicles have been recalled. Taking into consideration anticipated recalls, the total number of affected airbags could reach 65 or 70 million by 2019.

Regulators have linked the problem to the airbag inflator which consists of a metal cartridge loaded with propellant. The propellant used in Takata airbags is made with ammonium nitrate, a chemical also used in bomb making. Under normal circumstances, the propellant would be just enough to deploy the airbag.

According to regulators, the airbags don’t have enough of the necessary drying agent which is intended to allow the airbags to deploy with the appropriate amount of force. This defect is reportedly made worse by high heat and humidity which can cause the propellant to degrade.

The lawsuit alleged that the company knew about several ruptures dating back as early as 2004 but did not take appropriate action and recall their faulty airbags until 2014. TK Holding’s parent company also pleaded guilty to manipulating test data and submitting false or misleading reports to auto manufacturers.

“Not only were the actions of this company in clear violation of Kentucky’s Consumer Protection Act, they were in total disregard for the lives and safety of thousands of Kentucky families,” said Attorney General Andy Beshear. “We have worked hard with other state attorneys general to help those wronged by this faulty product and to hold the company accountable for their deceptive actions.”

Under the Takata settlement, TK Holdings must comply with state and federal consumer laws and cooperate with auto manufacturers to ensure that replacement airbag inflators are made available as quickly as possible. TK Holdings has also agreed to reimburse the multistate for investigative costs and for the stipulated civil penalty of $650 million.

The settlement is pending approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Were You Affected by the Takata Airbag Defect?

The Takata airbag recall affects over 37 million vehicles sold or leased under dozens of different brands, including:

• Acura
• Audi
• BMW
• Cadillac
• Chevrolet
• Chrysler
• Daimler
• Sprinter
• Sterling Bullet
• Ferrari
• Dodge/Ram
• Fisker
• Ford
• GMC
• Honda
• Infiniti
• Jaguar
• Jeep
• Land Rover
• Lexus
• Lincoln
• Mazda
• McLaren
• Mercedes-Benz
• Mercury
• Mitsubishi
• Nissan
• Pontiac
• Saab
• Saturn
• Scion
• Subaru
• Tesla
• Toyota
• Volkswagen

If you have owned or leased a vehicle under any of the brands above, you may qualify to file your own airbag lawsuit or Takata class action lawsuit.
You can find a full list of makes, models and model years on our Defective Airbag Recall Investigation Page.

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