In the summer of 2009, Honda quietly asked Takata to change its defective airbags to new "fail-safe" models after four injuries and one fatality were linked to the airbag’s exploding inflators. According to U.S. law, Honda was required to inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about safety concerns surrounding the rupturing airbags, yet it failed to do so. Instead, Honda chose to keep its redesign request a secret. Evidence of the requested design change surfaced in several Takata memos and documents, revealing both companies had knowledge of the dangerous exploding airbag inflators as early as 2009. Extensive recalls for the faulty inflators did not occur until 2014. Because Honda and Takata were not forthcoming with this information, both companies could be subjected to more scrutiny in the 100-plus pending lawsuits against them. These lawsuits allege defective Takata airbags were the cause of numerous deaths and serious injuries. In an attempt to minimize the importance of the design change request, Takata and Honda tried to avert liability for redesigning the airbag inflators. Honda asserts it did not inform regulators about the redesign because it was not requested due to the airbags being faulty. It was requested because the inflators represented a manufacturing error, according to Honda, and therefore the auto maker was not lawfully required to report it to the NHTSA. All instances where a product is deemed faulty or defective must promptly be reported to NHTSA regulators. While Takata admitted to testing newly designed airbags for a customer, it did not answer specific questions about Honda’s reason for the “fail-safe” model request. Instead, the company discussed the installation of vents on newer airbags that redirect inflator explosions away from a driver’s torso and neck.
Honda Secretly Asked Takata To Alter Airbags In 2009
