Ford, Mazda Lose Bid to Delay Takata Airbag Inflator Recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has rejected requests by Ford and Mazda to delay recalls of vehicles equipped with explosion-prone Takata Corp. airbag inflators, the Associated Press reports.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has rejected requests by Ford and Mazda to delay recalls of vehicles equipped with explosion-prone Takata Corp. airbag inflators, the Associated Press reports.
The two carmakers say they want more time to test the affected devices. Takata announced in July that the inflators in the driver’s front airbag installed in some 3 million Ford and 6,000 Mazda vehicles could explode in a crash.
The companies, which report no issues with the targeted inflators, want NHTSA to delay mandatory recalls until the end of March 2018 so they can conduct further tests. But the agency says their request isn’t reasonable or supported by testing to date.
Last year NHTSA granted General Motors Co. a delay in a proposed Takata recall after the carmaker claimed the inflators it uses are a different design that is safe from misfires. AP notes that proving its claim could save GM $870 million in recall costs covering 6.8 million vehicles.
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