The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will not require automakers to recall 56 million additional Takata air bag inflators across the country, Reuters reports.
The NHTSA asserts that the devices do not pose a safety risk like the Takata air bag inflators involved in previous and ongoing recalls around the world. In 2016, another 40 million Takata air bags were added to the recall and at the time, the NHTSA said it would review 56 million air bags by the end of 2019 to see if they would need to be recalled also.
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Previous recalls have involved air bag inflators that could explode when deployed, sending metal fragments flying through the cabin of a vehicle. It’s been concluded that long-term exposure to high heat and humidity can degrade the inflators, making them more prone to ruptures. There have been at least 25 deaths related to the Takata air bag inflators and almost 300 injuries worldwide.
The NHTSA says it has reviewed reports of extensive testing of the latest bunch of 56 million inflators in making this latest decision.
In a statement, David Kelly who heads a Takata testing group, said “after 30 years of predicted aging, none of the studied inflator designs and propellant combinations predicted detrimental effects, except those subjected to the most severe conditions and vehicle temperature.”
The Center for Auto Safety has criticized the decision saying it is “impossible to know whether to trust” the move “based on the complete lack of transparency.” It added that some car manufacturers have repaired less than 50 per cent of vehicles recalled for Takata air bag defects.