Hundreds of Takata Corp. air bag inflators pulled from cars in the auto industry's biggest-ever recall later ruptured in testing, showing the potential risks to drivers.
Documents released Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveal that out of 245,000 recalled airbag inflators pulled from cars and tested, 660 ruptured. As many as 15 deaths worldwide have been linked to the components, which can rupture and shoot deadly shards at vehicle occupants.
The test results illustrate the risk to consumers who do not bring their cars in to have the repairs performed or own cars that are not old enough to be eligible for the current round of replacement. Testing has shown that the inflators degrade over time, so Takata has been repairing older cars first while replacement parts are being manufactured.