Takata quality chief shuns national air bag recall

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By MARCY GORDON and TOM KRISHER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The quality chief for Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. told a Senate committee Thursday that a national recall of driver's side air bag inflators is not necessary.

In testimony before the Commerce Committee, Senior Vice President of Quality Hiroshi Shimizu said recalls should be limited to high-humidity areas.

Takata air bags can inflate with too much force, sending metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment and injuring people. The problem has caused at least five deaths and dozens of injuries. Prolonged exposure to high humidity can cause the air bag propellant to burn too quickly.

So far, recalls have been limited to Florida, Hawaii, areas along the Gulf Coast, as well as Puerto Rico and some other U.S. territories. U.S. safety regulators are now demanding that Takata recall driver's air bags nationwide after incidents in California and North Carolina.

FULL story at link.



Senate Commerce Committee member Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. displays the parts and function of a defective airbag made by Takata of Japan that has been linked to multiple deaths and injuries in cars driven in the US, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, during the committee's hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20141120/us--air_bag_recall-congress-15086e77d7.html

[hollysmom]

1. excuse me I live in a high humidity area in NJ

between 2 rivers mornings are usually foggy even in the driest times. these people know what of they speak,. Humidity can be different in 1 mile. Just lazy bastard not wanting to fix every one.

[TexasProgresive]

2. Was that headline writen by someone whose 1st language is not English?

"shuns" How about rejects?
I guess he would say that hoping to prevent the demise of his company and his job.

[CreekDog]

3. California is a high humidity area

the recall should obviously be nationwide, but even if it were just in humid areas, it would include many more states than Takata wants to include.

[staggerleem]

4. I guess Mr. Shimizu ...

... feels that if you buy a car in North Dakota, then that car will ALWAYS be operated in North Dakota. Because, like, nobody who lives in New York or Michigan EVER drives their car to Florida - except for about a million students every spring break!

Let me give you a clue, Takata-boy. Cars are all about MOBILITY. Where a car is purchased or registered is not the issue here - it's where can it be SAFELY operated? And if the answer to that question is not "EVERYWHERE there's a road", then you need to recall ALL of them!