• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Automakers Scrambling to Ensure They Qualify for New EV Tax Credit
  • Rivian Adding Second Shift to Hit 25K Production Goal
  • With Auto Thefts Up 8%, Trucks Most Stolen Models
  • The End Comes for the Mercedes-Benz Metris
  • GM Loses Appeal of Conspiracy Lawsuit Against FCA
  • National Average for Gas Drops Below $4 a Gallon
  • Worker Killed at GM’s Orion Assembly Plant
  • Heritage Edition Bronco: A Horse of a Different Color
  • First Look: 2023 GMC Canyon
  • Automakers Cheer as Biden Signs $52B CHIP Bill
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD
    • A Week With: 2022 Mercedes Sprinter 2500 Cargo Van
    • A Week With: 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX AWD
    • A Week With: 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 Autobahn
    • A Week With: 2022 Infiniti QX60 Luxe AWD
    • First Drive: 2023 Genesis G90
    • A Week With: 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible
    • A Week With: 2022 Jaguar F-Pace R Dynamic S
    • A Week With: Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD Sport Prestige
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automobiles > Takata Eliminating Exploding Airbag Inflator

        Takata Eliminating Exploding Airbag Inflator

        Supplier cutting “batwing” device, but using same propellant.

        Michael Strong
        Michael Strong , Managing Editor
        June 02, 2015
        Takata will testify during a congressional subcommittee hearing today that it is phasing out the inflator at the heart of the recall of millions of vehicles.

        Takata plans to use a new style airbag inflator, replacing its current “batwing” type model that is at the center of the exploding airbag controversy for the supplier.

        The company will tell members of a congressional subcommittee today it’s making the change on the driver-side airbag that is part of a recall of 33.8 million vehicles.

        Keeping You Safe!

        “The final stage of the recalls will include the replacement of batwing driver inflators that were previously installed as remedy parts in prior recalls,” said Kevin Kennedy, Takata executive vice president of North America, in written testimony released Monday. “Takata has also committed to cease producing these types of driver inflators.”

        One change the company isn’t making though is the use of ammonium nitrate as the propellant in its new inflators, although many of the replacement inflators do not, he said. While no definite cause for the explosion of the airbags, which are linked to six deaths and more than 100 injuries, has been determined, there is a theory that the ammonium nitrate degrades over time, becomes unstable and causes the explosion.

        Takata plans to continue using “ammonium nitrate in our propellant, which is safe and effective for use in airbag inflators when properly engineered and manufactured. We are confident that our replacement airbags are safe.”

        (GM, Subaru add vehicles to growing Takata recall list. For more, Click Here.)

        Most of Takata’s competitors don’t use ammonium nitrate in their airbag inflators and they are currently providing half of the replacements.

        The production level of replacements is steadily increasing as well, In December, the supplier was producing approximately 350,000 kits per month. In May, it jumped to approximately 700,000 units. By September, production is expected to 1 million per month, which will be for the U.S. market.

        (Click Here for details Takata issuing the largest recall in U.S. history.)

        “And we continue to work with other inflator suppliers to further increase production of replacement inflators to meet anticipated demand,” Kennedy said. “In fact, half of the replacement kits we shipped to our automaker customers in May contained inflators made by our competitors.

        “By the end of the year, we expect that number to reach approximately 70%. As of today, only one driver airbag replacement kit is on back order, and we will have that remedied in two weeks.”

        (To see more about automakers adding vehicles to airbag recall list, Click Here.)

        The company is still conducting research on the cause of the explosions, Kennedy noted, adding it has performed “ballistic tests on close to 50,000 inflators since September of last year.” The driver-side airbags are responsible for the most incidents in vehicles, including all six fatalities, according to Takata.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra confirmed during her 2022 CES keynote address that Chevrolet will launch the Chevrolet Equinox EV in the 2024 model year.

        Automakers Scrambling to Ensure They Qualify for New EV Tax Credit

        Yesterday
        Rivian line at Normal plant

        Rivian Adding Second Shift to Hit 25K Production Goal

        Yesterday
        Car thief NICB

        With Auto Thefts Up 8%, Trucks Most Stolen Models

        Yesterday

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2022
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: