Japanese airbag supplier Takata, which has been under fire due to some defective airbags that can deploy with too much force, is doubling the number of recalled vehicles in the U.S. from 17 to 33.8 million. This represents the largest recall in American history.
Around the world, 53 million cars with potentially faulty Takata airbags have been recalled since 2008, according to Reuters.
The campaign affects 11 different automakers, which preemptively recalled the vehicles when Takata refused to acknowledge any liability, arguing that the problem stemmed from humid conditions rather than the airbags themselves.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Takata yesterday reached an agreement after the former spent months pressing the latter to finally confess its sins. Takata also pledged to cooperate with “all future regulatory actions that NHTSA undertakes in its ongoing investigation and oversight of Takata,” according to a U.S. Transportation Department release quoted by Automotive News.
So far, six people have died as a direct result of these faulty Takata airbags. More deaths may be reported in the next few weeks.