Takata made the defective airbags responsible for the largest automotive recall in history.
The Japanese automotive supplier’s airbag inflators could rupture when activated, especially after prolonged exposure to heat and humidity. Instead of inflating normally, some units exploded and fired metal fragments into vehicle occupants. The defect was linked to deaths and injuries across many countries.
Beginning in the 2010s, recalls expanded rapidly across numerous carmakers, including Honda, Toyota, Ford, BMW, Nissan and Mazda. In the United States, regulators eventually ordered recalls involving more than 42 million vehicles; worldwide, more than 100 million inflators were ultimately recalled.
Takata was an airbag supplier, not the automaker whose badge appeared on the vehicle. That distinction explains why the recall involved dozens of brands. The crisis damaged the company financially, and Takata filed for bankruptcy in 2017; its assets were later acquired by Key Safety Systems, now associated with Joyson Safety Systems.