Photo: Takata
If it weren't for Volkswagen to distract some of the public's anger away from the Japanese airbag manufacturer, Takata would have felt alone in the automotive corner of shame this past year.
While Volkswagen's wrongdoings haven't caused any direct casualties, Takata's have sadly been a lot more dangerous. In case you haven't heard already, the airbag defect is essentially turning the air cushion that's supposed to keep you safe into an in-car shrapnel projecting device.
The total number of Takata airbag inflators victims in the US now sits at 11, but with such a massive recall underway consisting of millions of vehicles, any minor bump that leads to the deployment of the airbag can add to that tally. If you know your vehicle to be on the recall list, don't take any chances and have the repairs done as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, the Japanese company is expected to reach a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice that will see it pay anywhere near $1 billion dollars in compensation for its products' wrongdoings. The criminal fine has not been set yet, but according to The Wall Street Journal, it's likely in the high hundreds of millions.
Part of the deal might see Takata plead guilty to criminal misconduct as well, but we'll have to wait until January the earliest to know the exact terms of the settlement.
Besides the 11 US deaths, there were also 184 cases of injuries, plus five more fatalities worldwide. These malfunctions have led to the industry's biggest recall to date, and it looks highly unlikely that such a scale will ever be repeated.
As for the culprit, Takata is now attempting to find a buyer for the company, something that might prove quite difficult considering the tarnished reputation and the uneasy financial state. The fine imposed by the U.S. Department of Justice will be paid partly up-front, with several other instalments over the next few years.
The total number of Takata airbag inflators victims in the US now sits at 11, but with such a massive recall underway consisting of millions of vehicles, any minor bump that leads to the deployment of the airbag can add to that tally. If you know your vehicle to be on the recall list, don't take any chances and have the repairs done as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, the Japanese company is expected to reach a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice that will see it pay anywhere near $1 billion dollars in compensation for its products' wrongdoings. The criminal fine has not been set yet, but according to The Wall Street Journal, it's likely in the high hundreds of millions.
Part of the deal might see Takata plead guilty to criminal misconduct as well, but we'll have to wait until January the earliest to know the exact terms of the settlement.
Besides the 11 US deaths, there were also 184 cases of injuries, plus five more fatalities worldwide. These malfunctions have led to the industry's biggest recall to date, and it looks highly unlikely that such a scale will ever be repeated.
As for the culprit, Takata is now attempting to find a buyer for the company, something that might prove quite difficult considering the tarnished reputation and the uneasy financial state. The fine imposed by the U.S. Department of Justice will be paid partly up-front, with several other instalments over the next few years.
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