Report: Automakers Used Takata Airbags Despite Warnings

GM logo (Credit: General Motors )

The New York Times recently ran an interesting piece about the Takata airbag recall. Instead of just talking about how it’s the biggest safety recall ever, the newspaper went to the root of the whole problem: automakers wanting to cut costs.

Basically, good old fashioned greed was the driving force behind a faulty airbag design that has killed and maimed far too many people.

GM is named as one of the automakers that loved how cheap Takata airbags were. When it asked Autoliv to match the cost, the Swedish-American supplier said it couldn’t. It then warned GM, and reportedly other automakers, about the explosion hazard of the Takata design.

If that’s not damning enough, The New York Times uncovered that at least one chemical supply company told Takata itself about the risk of exploding airbag inflators. Even with those warnings, Takata and quite a few automakers used a faulty design.

GM is only saying that the whole cost-cutting maneuver with Takata airbags was an “old GM” practice. Interestingly enough, The New York Times didn’t get any real information from other automakers who might have been aware of the same risks. Mitsubishi, Honda and Toyota said they have no info about Takata airbags when they switched from Autoliv. Fiat Chrysler wouldn’t even issue a comment to the newspaper.

If this information doesn’t trouble you as a consumer, it should. Takata airbags with the same design that has proven deadly are being included in a number of brand new cars right now.