(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Toyota Motor reissued a recall for 1.6mn cars in Japan over Takata Corp air bags, after a component that was deemed to be safe in a Nissan Motor vehicle ended up injuring a passenger last month.
The Vitz compact car and 21 other models will be called back again after a previous recall prioritised the replacement of Takata air bag inflators based on whether dealers found air leaks, according to Masato Sahashi, a Japan transport ministry official. Toyota is re-doing the recall after an inflator ruptured and injured a passenger in a Nissan X-Trail SUV last month in Japan even after an inspection found no air leak.
The Nissan incident and recall do-overs by Japan's two biggest carmakers deepen a crisis for Takata that already involves almost 100 injuries and 19mn vehicles recalled in the US. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this month ordered Takata to phase out a propellant used to inflate its air bags, citing a lack of confidence in its safety.
Rupturing Takata air bag inflators have killed eight motorists in Honda Motor Co cars.
NHTSA's order prompted customers Ford Motor, Mazda Motor, Honda, Toyota and Nissan to announce they won't use Takata air bag inflators with ammonium nitrate propellant in cars under development. After NHTSA's announcement on November 3, Takata shares fell 39% during a record three-day plunge.
Takata posted an ¥8.66bn ($70mn) loss in the second-quarter and cut its full-year net income forecast to ¥5bn, a quarter of its earlier projection, after incurring losses related to recalls. President Shigehisa Takada acknowledged risk to the company's survival during a press conference on November 4.
Toyota is recalling about 12mn vehicles worldwide due to Takata air bags, the carmaker told NHTSA in July. Of the 98 injuries involving Takata air bag inflator ruptures in the US through late last month, five were in Toyota vehicles, according to the agency.
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