DETROIT (AP) – A dispute between U.S. safety regulators and air bag maker Takata Corp. escalated Wednesday when the government threatened fines and legal action if the company fails to admit that driver’s side air bag inflators are defective and agrees to a nationwide recall.
In a letter to Takata’s Washington office, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Japanese company until Tuesday to file paperwork declaring a defect and agree to expand the recall from high-humidity states to the full nation.
The company’s air bags have been blamed for at least five deaths and multiple injuries worldwide. They can inflate with too much force, blowing apart a mental canister and sending shrapnel into drivers and passengers.
The letter is the first step in a legal process to compel a recall. To do so, the agency must make a finding that there’s a safety defect, hold a public hearing and then it can go to court. It can also fine the company up to $7,000 per vehicle with defective inflators, and NHTSA says there are millions on the road today.
“Be assured that we will use all of our authority and resources to ensure that America’s drivers and passengers are safe.” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.