Vehicle Airbag Recall Forces Takata Into Bankruptcy

Takata, a company based out of Japan, will soon be replacing passenger airbag inflators in more than 782,000 Ford vehicles in the United States. The chemical used to inflate the airbags deteriorates over time, causing the airbag eruption to contain too much force; resulting in the explosion of shrapnel into the vehicle.

The financial ramifications of the recall have forced Takata into bankruptcy. The repairs will cost the company the remainder of their assets to be liquidated. The recall will cost the company the replacement parts of some 100,000 vehicles worldwide.

Explosive Chemical

Ammonium nitrate is the chemical used to create the explosion that inflates the airbag. The chemical becomes unstable when exposed to high humidity and temperature fluctuation between hot and cold. In prior Takata recalls, parts availability was a problem. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, that took over management of the recall, over 1/3 of the vehicles recalled have not had the inflators replaced according to a court-appointed monitor.

Check for Your Vehicle

Several vehicles in the recall are from the years 2010 to 2014. Ford owners can check the Ford website to see if their vehicle is included in the recall. Owners can put in their vehicle identification number to see if their vehicle is on the recall list. Dealers will be replacing the defective airbag inflators.

If you are facing some overwhelming debt and you need some relief from the bankruptcy court, consider speaking to a Sacramento bankruptcy attorney to see what options you may have.