South Korea Orders Big Recall for Takata Airbags
South Korea’s transport ministry has ordered 16 carmakers to replace potentially dangerous Takata Corp. airbag inflators in 221,900 vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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South Korea’s transport ministry has ordered 16 carmakers to replace potentially dangerous Takata Corp. airbag inflators in 221,900 vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reports.
About 97,000 of the affected vehicles were imported by General Motors Co.’s Korean affiliate, according to the Journal. GM says its recall will be coordinated with a global plan to replace the devices.
As in other markets, the Korean recall targets Takata inflators loaded with ammonium nitrate propellant that lacks a drying agent. Without the desiccant, the material can deteriorate after prolonged exposure to high heat and humidity, then misfire when triggered in a crash.
About 100 million of the inflators, which have been linked to 14 fatalities, are already being recalled by carmakers. Recalls in the U.S. alone now total almost 70 million.
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