The emerging crisis over airbags traces back to a little-known Japanese company that for over 20 years has supplied the safety devices to automakers including Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and General Motors Co.Airbags made by Takata Corp. are linked to at least four deaths and more than 30 injuries in the U.S. after the safety devices deployed with too much force, spraying metal shrapnel at occupants. U.S. authorities have begun an investigation and almost 8 million cars made by 10 automakers have been recalled to fix the hazard.
Though the probes are ongoing, one focus is likely to be Takata’s choice of an unusual explosive chemical to inflate its airbags in milliseconds, according to auto industry executives. The Japanese parts maker four years older than Toyota also has said it dealt with lapses in quality control at its plant in Mexico.
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