Takata CEO Issues Open Letter in Print Ads

In the midst of a crisis over defective airbags, Takata’s CEO has issued an open letter to the public. 

The letter was published in both U.S. and German newspapers to explain to the public exactly where the Japanese company stands on the slew of recalls and to ensure that Takata is working to fix the issue. Still, the company will not agree to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) call to expand the driver-side air bag recall to an additional 8 million vehicles across the U.S.

Thus far, Takata says there is no scientific evidence to back up NHTSA’s claim that the recall should be put in place across the country. Initial findings blamed humid weather for the issue, but now, NHTSA has reports of airbag faults in non-humid areas and consequently says that the recall needs to be undertaken across the whole country. So far, Mazda, Honda and Ford have all complied with NHTSA’s request for a country-wide recall while Chrysler and BMW have only issued regional recalls in southern States.

SEE ALSO: NHTSA to Force Automakers to Expand Takata Airbag Recall

This week, NHTSA pledged to force automakers to recall cars across the country fit with driver-side Takata airbags.

In affected vehicles, the airbag inflator can rupture which may result in metal shards being flung at the passengers of the car in the event of an accident. Since 2013, 11 million vehicles have been recalled over Takata airbags, which have been linked to five deaths and 50 injuries, most of which occurred in high-humidity areas.

In the letter, CEO Shigehisa Takada says that the company is ramping up production of replacement units, and that Takata supports NHTSA in investigating the issue further. “In tackling all these challenges, Takata will work in unison with automakers to advance our common goal of putting the safety of consumers first. I am personally committed to do what is necessary for Takata to regain the full confidence of the public and our customers” finishes the letter. Click here to read the open letter.