As auto manufacturers continue to investigate potential dangers in their vehicles, one airbag manufacturer is finding themselves in hot water. Honda, Mazda and Nissan are recalling nearly three million vehicles worldwide due to the Takata airbags installed in the vehicles. According to recent recalls, the airbag inflators can explode and send metal bits flying during an auto accident. Toyota is also involved in the recall as they announced a recall of approximately 766,300 vehicles in the U.S. last month. Over the past five years, Takata airbags have led to the recall of approximately 10 million vehicles worldwide. Six injuries have been linked to the problem along with two deaths; the two deaths involved Honda vehicles. Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into the Takata bag problem. It is believed that the airbag propellant was ruined by improper storage and exposure to moisture. The following vehicles have been affected by the latest recall:
- 755,000 Nissan vehicles including the Pathfinder, Cube and Infiniti F35 models; model years 2001-2003
- 160,000 Mazda RX-8 and Mazda6 models from 2002-2004
- 1.02 million Civic, CR-V, Odyssey and Element vehicles from 2000-2005