NHTSA Cuts Takata Recall Estimate by 36%

About 19.2 million vehicles in the U.S. are equipped with Takata Corp. airbag inflators that could explode when triggered by a crash, not the 30 million estimated a few months ago, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Some vehicles contain potentially defective driver-side and passenger-side devices. So NHTSA now estimates a total of 23.4 million Takata inflators are targeted for replacement in the U.S. compared with the 34 million units it figured in May.

The higher earlier numbers were a result of double-counting some vehicles, according to the agency. Currently 11 car and truck manufacturers are recalling tens of millions of vehicles worldwide to replace suspect Takata inflators.

The devices are susceptible to deterioration caused by prolonged exposure to heat and humidity, according to Takata. But no one has yet determined how much exposure is required to make them burn too fast, creating a pressure pulse that can shoot metal shards into the passenger compartment.