Takata to Double Airbag Inflator Output

Takata Corp. says it will double its current capacity to make replacement airbag inflators for millions that are being recalled because they may explode.

The company has just added capacity in Mexico that hiked its monthly output 50% to 450,000 units. The new expansion at multiple locations around the world will double that capacity to 900,000 units by September.

A dozen carmakers have recalled some 24 million Takata airbag systems over the past six years, about half of them in U.S. since 2012. In November the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated as many as 38 million vehicles in the U.S. may be equipped with defective Takata inflators.

Other manufacturers are stepping in to help supply replacement inflators and capture some of Takata's market share.