Japan may order expanded Takata airbag recall

Japanese regulators may add as many as 200,000 additional vehicles to the 2.6 million already being recalled due to potentially dangerous airbag inflator modules produced by Takata.
The decision hinges on whether NHTSA enforces the nationwide recall campaign for which the agency has been calling since last week. According to Reuters, Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta instructed Takata to expand its recall campaign in Japan if regulators are successful in broadening the scope of the efforts in the U.S.

Since NHTSA began pushing for recalls over the summer, manufacturers have been allowed to conduct their campaigns regionally, as the defective airbag inflators are most vulnerable to contamination and failure in humid environments.

However, the agency is now pushing manufacturers to recall all potentially affected vehicles nationwide, rather than just those sold in moist climates. Chrysler, who had planned to launch its recall campaign in Florida, has been under pressure to make replacement parts available simultaneously across the U.S. and its protectorates.

One Takata executive expressed concerns last week about the supplier’s ability to keep up with demand for replacement parts if the scope of the recall is widened.