Dangerous Takata Airbags Recalled: 34 Million and Counting

Takata Corp. has formally declared many of its air bags defective as part of a consent order with the U.S. Department of Transportation. The order also expands a recall of the products to 34 million vehicles — the largest ever. Alongside the order signed Monday, Takata submitted four defect reports that double the size of the original recall to include a total of 11 manufacturers that used the Japanese company’s air bags, Transportation The defective air bags can be damaged by humidity and rupture and shoot metal shards into the passenger cabin — are tied to five deaths in the U.S. and one abroad. Takata has yet to identify the cause of the defects. The DOT has directed owners of vehicles from auto makers such as BMW, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota to contact their manufacturers for further guidance on the recall.