Ford Motor Co. will not be making use of air bag inflators made by Takata Corp. in future cars, an additional blow to the distressed Japanese parts vendor as the vehicle sector remains to shun its item. Ford joins Honda, Toyota and Nissan in choosing against putting Takata airbags in their trucks, cars and SUVs.
Takata Takes One More Blow From Airbag Scandal. Ford has recalled its Vehicles
Takata airbags can blow up with too much force, sending out shrapnels of metal into drivers and passengers. At least eight people have been killed due to this malfunction, and hundreds have been injured. The airbags have caused the recall of 19.2 million automobiles in the US, and government regulators predict there could be millions more.
Ford has recalled more than 1.5 million older Mustangs, Ford GTs and North American-built Ranger pickups to replace the airbags, thanks to this scandal. A Ford spokesperson stated the company has recalled all automobiles with inflators that Takata has actually determined are malfunctioning.
Why the Airbags Exploded
Takata airbags have ammonium nitrate, which causes a small scale explosion that pumps up the air bags in an accident. The chemical could deteriorate under long term direct exposure to airborne humidity, causing it to burn too quickly and pull apart a metal canister developed to contain the surge. Ford has chosen to stop making use of inflators powered by ammonium nitrate, a spokesperson said.
Takata Takes Ammonium Nitrate Out of their Airbags
Takata has agreed to eliminate ammonium nitrate from their airbags since the scandal broke out. As part of a bargain with theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Takata accepted pay up to $200 million in penalties and hasty replacements of numerous of the devices already in use. Takata Corp. reported a half-year loss of 5.6 billion yen ($45.8 million) this month because of recall fees. The firm reduced its revenue projection for the complete year by 75%.
In the U.S., about 23.4 million Takata driver and passenger airbags have been recalled, from the 19.2 million cars sold by 12 auto and truck makers. Since Oct. 9, just 22.5% of the recalled airbags have been replaced nationwide, but the rate is much faster in high-humidity states like Florida, which have been given priority.
