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Takata is under fire again, but this time, the battle will be held in Hawaii’s 1st Circuit Court. The State of Hawaii has started legal action against the Takata Corporation for the use of defective airbag inflators.
The supplier is accused of a cover-up, and Honda Motor Company is also named in this suit, as the automaker is charged with knowing that the airbags bought from Takata were unsafe and installing them nonetheless.
Hawaii wants damages of $10,000 for each vehicle sold with defective airbags from Takata in the state, and Automotive News says the cars add up to 70,000 units. In theory, the case could lead to a penalty of $700 million for Takata and Honda, but they may not be penalized equally.
After all, Takata’s defective airbags were fitted to vehicles sold by other automakers, so it would be unfair for Honda to be the only brand to pay damages.
Takata’s survival as a company is under threat, as it considers a full restructuring to deal with increasing recall costs. As you know, the Takata airbag fiasco has two phases, as the first one targeted 28.8 million inflators, while the second will involve replacing an additional 40 million inflators.
The first step of the Takata recall targeted inflators with improper propellant, while the second is focused on parts that did not have a particular solvent inside. In the case of the latter, the missing solvent is used to dampen humidity, and airbags with defective inflators due to the lack of said chemical can explode with excessive force.
Since Hawaii is famous for its high-humidity, the defective airbags from Takata fitted to vehicles sold in this US state posed a greater safety risk to their occupants. In addition to the civil penalties sought from Takata Corporation, Hawaii also wants the owners of the affected vehicles to receive restitution. Besides that, the state asked for a public education effort on the dangers of the defective inflators.
According to the NHTSA, about one-third of Takata-affected vehicles sold in Hawaii have been fixed. The spokespersons of Takata, Honda, and the State of Hawaii have refused to comment on the matter.
Hawaii wants damages of $10,000 for each vehicle sold with defective airbags from Takata in the state, and Automotive News says the cars add up to 70,000 units. In theory, the case could lead to a penalty of $700 million for Takata and Honda, but they may not be penalized equally.
After all, Takata’s defective airbags were fitted to vehicles sold by other automakers, so it would be unfair for Honda to be the only brand to pay damages.
Takata’s survival as a company is under threat, as it considers a full restructuring to deal with increasing recall costs. As you know, the Takata airbag fiasco has two phases, as the first one targeted 28.8 million inflators, while the second will involve replacing an additional 40 million inflators.
The first step of the Takata recall targeted inflators with improper propellant, while the second is focused on parts that did not have a particular solvent inside. In the case of the latter, the missing solvent is used to dampen humidity, and airbags with defective inflators due to the lack of said chemical can explode with excessive force.
Since Hawaii is famous for its high-humidity, the defective airbags from Takata fitted to vehicles sold in this US state posed a greater safety risk to their occupants. In addition to the civil penalties sought from Takata Corporation, Hawaii also wants the owners of the affected vehicles to receive restitution. Besides that, the state asked for a public education effort on the dangers of the defective inflators.
According to the NHTSA, about one-third of Takata-affected vehicles sold in Hawaii have been fixed. The spokespersons of Takata, Honda, and the State of Hawaii have refused to comment on the matter.
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