Hiroshi Shimizu, senior vice president of global quality assurance at Takata, center, joined by Rick Schostek, executive vice president of Honda North America, right, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014, before the House Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Committee hearing to examine ruptures and recalls of defective air bags made by Takata and installed on cars driven in the U.S., including popular models of Hondas.Recall questions, answersOn Tuesday, Takata declined a U.S. government demand to add about 8 million cars to a recall of driver's side air bags by broadening it to all 50 states. At least five deaths and dozens of injuries worldwide have been linked to the problem.Here are some questions and answers about the recalls:Q: How can I find out if my car has been recalled?A: Dozens of models made by BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota dating to the 2001 model year are covered. You should have received a recall notice from your automaker. Also, you can go to www.safercar.gov and key in your vehicle identification number, which normally is printed on your registration and stamped on the dashboard. That will tell you if your car is being recalled. You can also call your dealer. Honda is Takata's largest customer, and has so far recalled over 5 million vehicles in the U.S. aloneQ: Why are some of the recalls just in areas with high humidity?A: Government investigators and Takata officials believe that prolonged exposure to moisture in the air makes the inflator chemical, ammonium nitrate, burn too fast, creating too much pressure. That can cause the metal inflator canisters to shatter, spewing shrapnel into drivers and passengers. They're still conducting tests on inflators replaced by dealers to figure out what level of humidity causes the problem. Initially the recall areas were limited to Florida, Puerto Rico, areas near the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana, as well as Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands and Hawaii.Q: I live outside the recall areas, but the humidity is still high. Is my car safe?A: The short answer is no one is sure because the problem is still under investigation. This has some car owners confused and worried. Investigators think they have found a concentration of defective inflators inside the high-humidity zone. But there are still a lot of humid locations outside those areas. Takata says the cars are safe if they're outside the high-humidity area. It's difficult to tell if your car has a Takata air bag inflator. You can try asking your dealer, but even they may not know.Q: Why doesn't the government just order a national recall of all Takata air bag inflators?A: Safety regulators say two incidents outside of current recall zones involving driver's side air bags are cause for a national recall. Takata disagrees. That could mean civil fines and a court date for Takata. Regulators can go to court to force Takata to do a recall, but they have to hold a public hearing first.Q: What's next?A: Other automakers are deciding whether to join Honda in a national driver's side recall. And the investigation will continue into passenger side problems. Takata could wind up being fined and face court action for defying the government's demands.
WASHINGTON - Under pressure from federal regulators, Honda is expanding a recall of driver's side air bags to all 50 states.
The air bags, made by Japanese supplier Takata Corp., can explode with too much force, sending metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
Takata insists that current recalls covering 8 million U.S. cars in high-humidity areas are sufficient. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants the recalls expanded nationwide after some incidents outside the high-humidity zones.
Rick Schosteck, Honda's executive vice president for North America, told House lawmakers Wednesday that Honda will expand the regional recall it began in June, but will continue to prioritize high-humidity areas.
He also said Honda is working with other air bag manufacturers to make sure it has enough parts.
Takata: Evidence doesn't support national recall
WASHINGTON - Takata Corp. defied a U.S. safety agency's demand for a nationwide recall of driver's side air bags, setting the stage for possible legal action by the government and leaving some drivers to wonder about the safety of their cars.
In a Tuesday letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration obtained by The Associated Press, Takata said its own data and testing support limiting the recall to high-humidity areas, such as along the Gulf Coast. A Takata official repeated those claims Wednesday morning at a hearing before a House subcommittee.
The air bag's inflators can explode with too much force, spewing shrapnel into the passenger compartment. At least five deaths and dozens of injuries have been linked to the problem worldwide.
Under pressure from lawmakers, the U.S. safety agency on Nov. 26 demanded that Takata and a number of automakers broaden a recall of driver's side air bags to all 50 states. At Wednesday's hearing before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, an executive from Honda said the automaker would expand its recall nationwide. Honda is one of Takata's biggest customers.
So far automakers have recalled about 14 million vehicles worldwide for Takata air bag problems, including 8 million in the U.S. A nationwide recall would add 8 million vehicles to existing recalls, Takata said.
Up until now, cars were only being recalled in high-humidity areas in Florida, Hawaii, along the Gulf Coast and in some U.S. territories. Takata has maintained that prolonged exposure to airborne moisture can cause the inflator propellant to burn faster than designed, causing it to explode with too much force.
A number of committee members expressed concern that the limited nature of the recall was confusing to consumers outside of the current recall zones.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, the panel's senior Democrat, said she's received letters from constituents "who are literally afraid to drive their cars."
But Hiroshi Shimizu, senior vice president of global quality assurance at Takata, maintained the company's defiant stance, telling lawmakers at the hearing that the available data and scientific evidence on the air bags "doesn't support" a nationwide recall.
Takata also contends that NHTSA only has authority to seek recalls from auto manufacturers and makers of replacement parts, not original parts suppliers. NHTSA disagrees.