The Detroit News reports that NHTSA has formally demanded that Takata Corporation declare millions of U.S. vehicles defective. It’s the first step in requiring a nationwide recall of cars equipped with Takata driver’s-side airbags, after a long and ongoing issue where the auto supplier’s airbags have been found to deploy with excessive force and shoot shrapnel at vehicle occupants in an accident.
The NHTSA demand letter, submitted today, gives Takata until December 2 to respond. If Takata declines, NHTSA could go to court to enforce a recall demand—and potentially subject Takata to fines of up to $7000 per day per violation if it does not agree to a recall.
“NHTSA is issuing this recall request letter to notify you that the agency has tentatively concluded that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists on a national basis in the subject driver’s side air bag inflators, and to demand that Takata recall the inflators,” wrote Frank S. Borris, head of NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, The Detroit News reports.
Previous recalls have focused on Takata airbag–equipped vehicles in high-humidity regions, based on the assumption that moisture causes the component degradation found in shrapnel-shooting defective airbags. Since 2013, 10 automakers have recalled 7.8 million U.S. vehicles equipped with Takata airbags.
NHTSA asked Honda, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, and BMW to issue nationwide recalls for driver’s-side airbags last week. All of these manufacturers had previously announced regional recalls in high-humidity areas, though none so far have agreed to nationwide action, The Detroit News reports.
Takata said last week that a nationwide recall could put lives at risk by diverting replacement components from high-humidity areas. The parts supplier claimed it could take at least two years to produce enough replacement airbag components in Senate testimony last week. The company did not return immediate requests from journalists for comment on today’s NHTSA demands.
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The government request comes on the heels of increasing pressure from Japanese regulators to issue further recalls, after an airbag not covered by previous recalls ruptured in testing in Japan. For complete updated information of the Takata recall, including a full list of U.S. vehicles covered by current recalls, check our ongoing coverage portal.