Takata’s President Apologies for Airbag Inflator Deaths

Shigehisa Takada, the reclusive president of Takata Corp., publicly apologized today for at least six years of injuries and deaths caused by the company's defective airbag inflators.

The supplier has issued statements of apology before, but this is the president's first personal comment. "I apologize for not having been able to communicate directly earlier," he told shareholders earlier today.

The company continues to investigate the root issues that cause some of its inflators to explode when triggered, ejecting shrapnel into the passenger cabin. Takada concedes the analysis "isn't progressing very well."

So far the defect has killed eight people and injured more than 100 others. Carmakers began recalling vehicles to replace Takata inflators in 2009. Last month the company estimated 34 million potentially flawed devices have been supplied for vehicles in the U.S. alone.