Japan Warns of Airbag Inflator Shortage in Takata Recalls

Japan's transport ministry says the country faces a shortage of replacement airbag inflators as carmakers recall some 9.3 million vehicles to replace Takata Corp. devices that could misfire, Bloomberg News notes.

Masato Sahashi, the ministry's director of recall enforcement, tells the news service that 7.3 million of the vehicles are part of preemptive recalls because carmakers still don't know the root cause that can make a Takata inflator explode.

Sahashi says the preemptive recalls have overwhelmed local supplies of the inflators. He estimates 82% of the initial 2 million recalled cars in Japan have been repaired. The completion rate drops to 30% when preemptive recalls are included.