Things are getting from bad to worse for Takata as a recently announced recall adds more than five million cars believed to have been installed with potentially defective air bags from the Japanese company. The newest recall includes cars from previously unaffected car manufacturers.
The latest recall will put the total number of affected vehicles to around 28 million. Of this figure, more than 24 million were marketed to the United States as claimed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The new recall order was issued on Jan. 22. The recall was prompted by the death of a driver who was driving a Ford Ranger pickup. Initial investigations claim that the driver's death may have been caused by exploding debris from a Takata airbag, although this claim has not been proved yet.
Additionally, further tests and investigation also contributed to the decision to add more cars into the recall list.
Four automakers were added into the growing list of affected manufacturers. These are Volkswagen AG and its Audi brand, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz unit and Saab. Other automakers who are already on the list but had cars added into the latest recall are BMW, Mazda, Ford and Honda.
In a statement acquired by The Wall Street Journal, a Takata spokesperson said, "We are cooperating fully with regulators and our automotive customers and continue to support all actions that advance vehicle safety, including through our ongoing testing efforts, replacement kit production, and raising consumer awareness of recalled vehicles."
An NHTSA statistics reveal that the massive Takata recall has by far outnumbered the total number of cars and trucks sold in the U.S. in 2015 alone.
The NHTSA added that regulators will be swift and strict in imposing necessary sanctions to those involved in the recall. Although the initial suspect are Takata-made air bags, the NHTSA wants to investigate deeper and pinpoint the root cause of the problem.
According to Reuters, Takata agreed to pay $70 million in fines for violating safety standards set by the NHTSA. Show further investigations will prove that Takata deliberately violated these safety precautions, the company could face fines of up to $130.