Ford dumps Takata airbags

Ford will no longer use airbag inflators made by Takata in future vehicles. The blue oval joins Honda, Toyota and Nissan in deciding against putting the inflators in cars, trucks and SUVs now under development. Takata inflators can explode with too much force, and send shrapnel into drivers and passengers. At least eight people have been killed worldwide and hundreds injured. The inflators have led to the recall of 19.2 million vehicles in the US and government regulators are investigating the possibility of millions more. Ford has recalled more than 1.5 million older Mustangs, GTs and North American-built Rangers to replace the inflators. Spokeswoman Kelli Felker will not say if other models have Takata inflators, but the company has recalled all vehicles with inflators Takata has determined are defective. Takata uses ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion that inflates the airbags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate under prolonged exposure to airborne moisture, causing it to burn too fast and blow apart a metal canister designed to contain the explosion. The Japanese company has agreed to phase out ammonium nitrate. As part of a deal with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Takata has agreed to pay up to US$200 million in penalties and speed up replacement of many of the devices already in use. Repairs around the world have been slowed by the magnitude and complexity of the recalls, and by limits to the number of replacement parts that are available. Three other parts suppliers – Autoliv, Daicel and ZF TRW Automotive – are making inflators for Takata-assembled repair modules and are gaining market share as Takata struggles to cope with the scandal.