Toyota pledges to help find cause of Takata airbag defects

Scott Upham, CEO of Valient Market Research in Rochester, New York, and a former Takata employee, estimates the huge recall will cost Takata $4 billion to $5 billion. Lawsuits could add another $1 billion. Takata, he said, has been negotiating long-term payment plans with automakers.

Takata was fined $1.2 million (145.7 million yen) by U.S. regulators for failing to cooperate with an investigation. Other U.S. civil penalties are still possible.

Good. They made billions in profits knowing full well that there were defects in their air bags. They would not be in this position if they had taken some pf that money and put it into correcting the problems.

“We must aggressively pursue recalls. Otherwise, we can’t go forward,” he said.

LOL. Very funny coming from Toyoda-san, since his company was aggressively fighting recalls on Toyota vehicles for unintended acceleration, and they were also fined for lack of cooperation with U.S. authorities. Bet no Japanese press bothered to point that out when he was making his pronouncement.

just now?

Anyways:

http://www.driven.co.nz/news/news/takata-admits-airbag-inflators-are-defective-recall-now-one-of-the-biggest-in-history/

About 34 million cars recall!

Nobody is able to find this supposed defect but they are forced to admit it does exist based on very few cases, compared to more than 100 dead caused by GM ignition problem. GM is protected by the US government indeed they are not even punished for the cars produced by the old GM. It's an insult to people smartness.

Nobody is able to find this supposed defect but they are forced to admit it does exist based on very few cases,

Just because they can't find the cause right now doesn't mean it doesn't exist (just like the few cases of 787 lithium battery issue that Boeing had to fix). The car manufacturers, including Japanese car manufacturers, are even urging Takata to do this. They wouldn't do that expensive move unless they believe there's genuine issue. Is that an insult to their smartness too?

They wouldn't do that expensive move unless they believe there's genuine issue.

Double standard showed by the U.S. safety regulators makes people doubt about a possible "genuine issue".

It's possible there's something wrong, sure, but they are showing too much mercy towards GM to be completely believable, and you can't trust a country about safety problems where the government saved the national main carmaker with public money, and it's protecting it also now, showing double standard. It's called conflict of interest. Plus, while I have not any interest in defending Takata and it's not my aim, I can't avoid to see how weird some things are. For example, I wonder why both in Boeing and this airbag case the supplier is considered guiltier than the makers of the final good. In both the cases, the supplier is Japanese, while the final maker (that should have the main responsability about the safety problems) is American in Boeing case, and include American makers in the airbaig recalls. In GM ignition scandal, the ignition supplier is American (Delphi), but basically they didn't get any blame or fine. There's something blatantly wrong and weird, of course...everybody can notice it. National economic interests are blatantly and heavily implied.

Takata airbags are on many brands - Japanese, American, European:

Acura, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Subaru, Toyota, etc.

Takata would be paying for the parts, but those manufacturers would be paying for the recalls.

Takata would be paying for the parts, but those manufacturers would be paying for the recalls.

I said, why Delphi got a different treatment? Something is fishy at this point, sorry. It seems like since GM is having a huge problem again, they had to find another problem with a Japanese manufacturer that could obscure GM ignition debacle. It's like they want people think "See? It's not only American carmakers that suck!" Plus, how can you say that a manufacturer is hidding a problem, when nobody can clearly say the cause of the supposed problem? Of course, all the carmakers are doing the recalls, and Takata admitted there's this problem, it's a matter of defending reputation. But some serious doubts about how these things are handled by the regulators remain...I repeat, it's a matter of conflict of interest. I think the government shouldn't be able to save private manufacturers, in any country, not only in the US.

Most people think that the problem with the Takata airbags is due to issues with the long-term stability of the propellants used to inflate the airbag. That's why we now know Takata changed the propellant chemicals in 2008, and as such we know of no significant incidents with Takata airbags produced after the change.

Double standard showed by the U.S. safety regulators makes people doubt about a possible "genuine issue".

but they are showing too much mercy towards GM to be completely believable, and you can't trust a country about safety problems

LOL. Your anti-U.S. typical nonsense. For example:

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Record Fines, Unprecedented Oversight Requirements in GM Investigation.

Please explain how a "record" fine for GM, plus "unprecedented oversight" is going easy on GM? You really need to have some fact before you launch into your rants.

Please explain how a "record" fine for GM, plus "unprecedented oversight" is going easy on GM? You really need to have some fact before you launch into your rants.

I already read those fines will be reduced for sure, plus it's money that the government can use to save GM again. It's called conflict of interest. This is way more interesting:

http://jalopnik.com/judge-new-gm-off-the-hook-for-ignition-switch-lawsuits-1698081034

I already read those fines will be reduced for sure, plus it's money that the government can use to save GM again. It's called conflict of interest. This is way more interesting:

Alex, LOL and thanks. Now I know not to take your posts seriously. You actually believe what bloggers like yourself say, just because they believe it.

Jerseyboy, you're idiot. You didn't read newspaper and watch news. Toyota was only company took responsible for all its cars. Unlike GM its defective cars accident killed record numbers in history but US Government had let the fish off from hook.

Toyota vehicles for unintended acceleration, and they were also fined for lack of cooperation with U.S. authorities.

Well, US Government had fine Toyota billion of dollars but bigger criminal GM which has hidden accidents and denied responsible for tragedies involved by its cars knowingly for more than decade was fine a few bucks. Toyota was discriminated by US authority because of Toyota cars was more popular than US cars.

There's no proved of defection in Toyota cars' ECU. NASA engineers and technicians have thoroughly tested but they found nothing wrong with Toyota Cars' ECU. The unintended acceleration was stupid US car drivers' fault. Toyota has sold cars millions and millions of car around the world but the unintended acceleration accident was happened in only USA.

Toyota was victim of greedy lawyers and stupid drivers. Only Toyota fault was not fighting back. We have Toyota Camry, Lexus GS300 and GS400 but nothing problem with the cars. I only need to do was regular oil change. That's all.

The Takata's airbag problem was not Toyota alone. The car companies took responsible for defective airbag because the airbag was fitted in their cars. Toyota is stepping out and saying Toyota Company was willing to help find cause of Takata Airbags' defect. It's good thing and nothing wrong mate.

Alex, LOL and thanks. Now I know not to take your posts seriously. You actually believe what bloggers like yourself say, just because they believe it.

No, I'm the one to thank you. I thought you were speaking about another GM news, then I googled and I found your source:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2014/DOT-Announces-Record-Fines,-Unprecedented-Oversight-Requirements-in-GM-Investigation

A report written one year ago.

First, the "record fine" is only $35 million (Honda got $70 million). Second, I read this and I thought it was incredible:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2015/dot-extends-oversight-of-gm

“Our oversight has been effective and GM’s in a better place. We expect that our agreement will help them continue to improve their safety culture,” said NHTSA Administrator, Mark Rosekind. “Automakers can learn an important lesson from GM. Follow the rules, be accountable for your products, take good care of your customers and always make safety the priority.”

I don't even. Seriously? "Automakers can learn an important lesson from GM"? And this stuff is written on NHTSA site? It's basically advertising.

Thank you, jerseboy. Now I can see also more blatantly the double standard. No surprise, anyway.

Ah...I forgot. Third: the fines can be used to save GM again. Bye!

They'll file bankruptcy and nobody will get anything.

Being personally involved in car parts export business originating from Japan for at least a decade now, I honestly feel there is something very strange with some airbag models.

Not actually true that the problem only occurs in high humidity areas; in Hokkaido, in Tohoku and in Hokuriko, areas that hardly fits the description of being high humid, the issue of excessive force emanating from these airbags exists too as elsewhere in Japan.

When a car in on its end-of-life stage, Japanese recycling law stipulates that airbags must be made to explode and be rendered useless except as recyclable waste, and that it must be handled by a certified professional.

Witnessed these explosions on regular basis and occasionally force is such that car windshields breaks needlessly into shards. Now, if this force of magnitude could hit those behind the steering wheels, or possibly even the passenger beside it, an airbag, supposedly a security tool component during accidents could become inadvertently a fatal instrument of death instead.

I am trying still to formulate an objective conclusion based on first-hand experiences and interviews.

Facts are Takata air bags shows appoximately 5 deaths out of 34 million cars on the road. They are doing the right thing for the recalls. If you look at the history of what NHTSA has done on the recalls, the side saddle fuel tank design installed in over 10 million GM trucks - all 1973-87 GMs trucks is the worst auto crash fire defect in the history of the U.S. Over 2,000 people were killed in fire crashes involving these trucks from 1973 through 2009. This is more than twenty times as many fatalities as in the infamous Ford Pinto. Despite a voluntary recall request from the NHTSA) in 1993, GM stubbornly refused to initiate a recall and more people died from result of this. Since they are a domestic manufacturer, the goverment had double standards.

Not just a problem in Japan.

Recall on 34 million cars in the US!

They explode, ssending sharp metal and plastic into peoples faces here in the US. One woman lost her sight in one eye, others cut and scared.

GM has their own problems with ignition switches and the courts want to file criminal charges against GM for the deaths it has caused.

A report written one year ago.

First, the "record fine" is only $35 million (Honda got $70 million). Second, I read this and I thought it was incredible:

Alex, again, LOL and thanks. Uh, duh, that's because the fine was levied a year ago. (But which you conveniently failed to mention.) So what? Second, the Honda fine was not for the same infraction. So, again, so what? But, since you are so aware of current news, then you obviously heard the development just today -- that the U.S. Justice Department is seeking CRIMINAL charges against GM in the ingition switch fiasco. Guess you diidn't catch that, or it runs counter to your blatatnt U.S. bias. (By the way, good to see you learned that it is NHTSA, and not NASA. Rants have more effect when they are at least factually correct, and do not confuse auto safety with space exploration.)

Alex, again, LOL and thanks. Uh, duh, that's because the fine was levied a year ago. (But which you conveniently failed to mention.)

I said it was "a report written one year ago". You are the one who posted such an old news.

So what? Second, the Honda fine was not for the same infraction. So, again, so what?

They fined Honda twice, it's the same kind of fine ($35 millionx2). This move was weird.

But, since you are so aware of current news, then you obviously heard the development just today -- that the U.S. Justice Department is seeking CRIMINAL charges against GM in the ingition switch fiasco. Guess you diidn't catch that, or it runs counter to your blatatnt U.S. bias.

No, I heard about it, indeed I was speaking about this news here:

I already read those fines will be reduced for sure, plus it's money that the government can use to save GM again. It's called conflict of interest.

You should learn the meaning of conflict of interest.

(By the way, good to see you learned that it is NHTSA, and not NASA. Rants have more effect when they are at least factually correct, and do not confuse auto safety with space exploration.)

No, I confused nothing. When I spoke about NASA, I meant exactly NASA, involved in Toyota sudden acceleration case. :)

Thoroughly calibration and test is needed and also don't mix where the origin of mineral resources applied cause it differentiate components durability in different kind of applications and usage.

No, I confused nothing. When I spoke about NASA, I meant exactly NASA, involved in Toyota sudden acceleration case. :)

Holy cow, you are referencing a report from 2011!!!! And you have the gall to say to me, about a one year-old report:

I said it was "a report written one year ago". You are the one who posted such an old news.

You really make taking your posts seriously just about impossible.

"Jerseyboy. You didn't read newspaper and watch news. Toyota was only company took responsible for all its cars. Unlike GM its defective cars accident killed record numbers in history but US Government had let the fish off from hook.

Toyota vehicles for unintended acceleration, and they were also fined for lack of cooperation with U.S. authorities.

Well, US Government had fine Toyota billion of dollars but bigger criminal GM which has hidden accidents and denied responsible for tragedies involved by its defective cars knowingly for more than decade was fine a few bucks. Toyota was discriminated by US authority because of Toyota cars was more popular than US cars.

There's no proved of defection in Toyota cars' ECU. NASA engineers and technicians have thoroughly tested but they found nothing wrong with Toyota Cars' ECU. The unintended acceleration was stupid US car drivers' fault. Toyota has sold cars millions and millions of car around the world but the unintended acceleration accident was happened in only USA.

Toyota was victim of greedy lawyers and stupid drivers. Only Toyota fault was not fighting back. We have Toyota Camry, Lexus GS300 and GS400 but nothing problem with the cars. I only need to do was regular oil change. That's all.

The Takata's airbag problem was not Toyota alone. The car companies took responsible for defective airbag because the airbag was fitted in their cars. Toyota is stepping out and saying Toyota Company was willing to help find cause of Takata Airbags' defect. It's good thing and nothing wrong mate."

Chop Chop: There's no proved of defection in Toyota cars' ECU.

But:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Barr_%28software_engineer%29

In October 2013, after reviewing Toyota's source code as part of a team of seven engineers, he testified in a jury trial in Oklahoma that led to a "guilty by software defects" finding against Toyota. There are several technical articles that discuss the various electronic throttle control defects he testified were linked to unintended acceleration that caused deaths in Toyota Camry vehicles. [6] [7] [8]

Ref Six: http://www.edn.com/design/automotive/4423428/Toyota-s-killer-firmware--Bad-design-and-its-consequences "Toyota's killer firmware: Bad design and its consequences"

Ref Seven: http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1319936 "Toyota Trial: Transcript Reveals 'Task X' Clues"

Ref Eight: http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1319903 "Toyota Case: Single Bit Flip That Killed"

Any way you slice it, this will be an interesting business case study someday. Back when I was in B school it was the Tylenol recall, but I suspect a Japanese company is about to take the title.