Takata: The deadly device inside millions of cars

Hello! This issue is special. For the past weeks, we’ve researched a fascinating topic, and we hope you enjoy it.

We want to have two newsletters a week, one short and one long. Let us know if you’d like this idea!

As always, you can listen to the extended version, available on our podcast here!

Key Takeaways

Don’t have much time? Here’s the summary of what we’re talking about:

• Despite political challenges, Chinese-made cars are selling well in the U.S.

• Canada's sudden spike in car thefts, with stolen vehicles often ending up overseas, has drawn international attention

• When purchasing a used Ram Truck, it's crucial to check for these common issues

• Replacing an F-150 heater core is not easy but manageable with the right tools and patience.

• The Takata airbag crisis, marked by extensive recalls and fatalities, highlights the importance of stringent quality controls and transparent manufacturing processes in automotive safety.

KERN’S CORNER

The deadly device lurking in millions of cars

One company promised cheaper products. They turned out to be deadly.

On July 10, 2024, BMW recalled 394,000 cars produced between 2006 and 2012, including its most popular vehicle, the 3-series. 

While recalls have become much more common these days, as we covered in our previous issue (which you can read here), this one was different.

Inside the nearly 400,000 vehicles was, in the words of many automotive websites, a ticking time bomb. 

Ironically, it was designed to save lives. Instead, it has killed more than 30 people. 

Fortunately for the German automaker, there were no reports of fatal victims, but other companies weren't as lucky. So, BMW raced to stop people from driving these vehicles before it was too late. 

The company sent out several bulletins, urging drivers of these models to approach dealerships for a free airbag module replacement. BMW had fallen victim to the faulty Takata airbag crisis.

According to NPR, the Takata airbag crisis, or Takata recall, is one of US history's biggest and most complex recalls. 

So far, there's evidence that it has affected 65 to 67 million vehicles from many major brands, including Ford, BMW, VW, Toyota, and Jaguar-Land Rover.

Takata airbags have been involved in at least 24 to 27 deaths in the US and at least 10 more globally. 

So, how did this happen? How did one faulty product land on so many vehicles? And which vehicles are these?

How the airbag came about in the US

Airbags have been commercially available since 1971 (I know, that long ago). However, their history goes way back, with patents appearing in 1951. 

If you want to read more about the history of the airbag, here's an excellent summary. 

While Ford was the first automaker to install airbags in a fleet, GM offered the first commercial vehicle with an airbag, a 1973 Oldsmobile Toronado.

Buicks and Cadillacs also had them, but the option was discontinued in 1977, citing a lack of consumer interest. 

Meanwhile, across the pond, Mercedes Benz offered airbags as options in its flagship model, the S-class. 

In reality, Ford and GM were not keen on the airbag. For years after discontinuing the airbag option, both companies lobbied against it. 

When, in 1984, a Federal regulation required that at least 10% of the fleet had automatic seatbelts or airbags, the Big Three launched a crusade to prevent it. 

It would be too costly, cumbersome, and unproven. Instead, the Big Three argued that they would concentrate on improving the crashworthiness of their cars. 

This article from 1984 relives the battle. 

However, regulation didn't budge. So, airbags and automatic seatbelts were here to stay.

Ford began offering them in the Tempo in 1987, and Chrysler soon followed with standard airbags in six different models by 1988. 

Ironically, the first known record of a collision between two airbag-equipped cars happened in 1990 between two Lebarons. Both airbags deployed, and the drivers walked away with minor injuries. 

Celebrating a car collision is unusual, but even the Washington Post called it a vindication in a 20-year battle. 

Since then, airbags have quickly gone from an option to a standard. Thus, the competition to supply the Big Three intensified, and one aspect would be vital: cost. 

How Takata came into the picture

One company has a 42% share of vehicle safety systems worldwide: Autoliv. Moreover, as of December 2023, it had 47% of the airbag market. 

Originally from Sweden, the company made a name for itself by creating automatic seatbelt systems for automakers worldwide.

Through mergers, it began producing its own airbags in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It eventually became a supplier for GM and other companies. 

But they weren't necessarily the cheapest in the market. 

So, in the early 90s, one company approached GM with a proposal. It could provide a much cheaper airbag. 

GM asked Autoliv to match the price or "risk losing GM's business."

Autoliv's reply was straightforward. While the competitor airbag was cheaper, it was more dangerous, using a more volatile compound in the inflater.

So, Autoliv rejected the idea, but GM went with this new provider. Its name was Takata, and GM wasn't the only buyer. 

Takata didn't want to make airbags. 

According to an anonymous Honda engineer, Takata's top brass didn't want to enter the airbag business in the first place.

In the 1980s, Juichiro Takada expressed his concerns. If anything went wrong, Takata would pay a heavy price. 

The ominous message was ignored, mainly because airbags were coveted items. Automakers worldwide needed a steady supply and would pay big bucks for them.

So, as long as Takata could provide airbags for "a bit less" than the competition, they had sure footing. 

There was one problem. Making airbags was challenging. As this article by the Washington Post states, going from seatbelts to airbags was a complex job. 

The company struggled to find a proper explosive compound that would launch the airbag rapidly but not be so strong that it would injure people.

Faulty quality standards caused explosions within the company's factory. 

Takata purchased third-party inflaters to stay afloat while it solved quality issues. It rushed to fit them in vehicles from several automakers but failed to address its internal problems.

Regardless of these issues, Takata airbags were so cheap that many companies kept buying them. Meanwhile, warnings were ignored inside the company.  

Not only that, but a killer combination would help turn the Takata airbags into deadly projectiles. 

Hot, humid, and deadly

The following map shows the states where Takata airbags have been involved in a death. Three deaths have an unspecified location. 

As far as deaths on a global scale, they've been reported in Australia, Malaysia, Guadeloupe, and Cyprus. All these locations share two factors: they are warm and humid. 

As vehicles aged and components suffered from heat, the airbag's explosives became much more sensitive to even the slightest impact. 

Fender benders turned deadly, as it so happened in the US and Cyprus, but that wasn't the most critical. In extreme situations, airbags deployed randomly, killing several people. 

The problem was that so many companies had purchased Takata airbags that tracking them was almost impossible, but it had to be done. 

The Endless Recall

The first recall began in April 2013, with Toyota, Honda, and Mazda recalling their vehicles for faulty airbags.

These later expanded to other companies in 2014, and the situation was so massive that, even ten years later, the problem is still going on. 

The following chart summarizes the number of vehicles recalled per year by the manufacturers. 

If you want to know which vehicles have been affected by the recall, visit the NHTSA website here. 

The numbers kept piling on, reaching millions in two years. Eventually, the crisis was so bad that Takata confessed to it all. The situation was worse than expected.

The company's Mexico subsidiary hadn't adequately handled chemicals. Tracking vehicles was also challenging because the parent company had faulty quality control records. 

So, finding the time bombs was more challenging than expected. 

As more research revealed the extent of the damage, Takata had no choice but to declare bankruptcy in 2017. The company could not cope with the reality of lawsuits, repairs, and low sales. 

In the process, it admitted to fraud by falsifying quality results. 

And so, Takata went under, just as Juichiro Takada predicted. 

Another company, Key Safety Systems, absorbed the assets, but it needed outside help. So, Ningbo Joyson provided funding to include newer technology to improve the product quality to a competitive level. Thus, Joyson Safety Systems was born. 

However, the problem continues. As of April 2024, 88% have been repaired or replaced, leaving 8 million still out there. 

Here's the comprehensive list of vehicles affected in the US from all 19 manufacturers and 34 brands, along with the critical locations. 

IN THE KNOW

China-made cars are selling well in the US

These cars don’t come from where you expect

Cars are the political battleground between the US and China. While the rest of the world embraces Chinese cars, the US is making considerable efforts to prevent an influx of vehicles from the Asian giant.

The pretext is that they threaten local production and could even pose a security risk. 

However, that doesn’t mean that the US doesn’t have Chinese cars. They’re just here in a way we don’t envision. To make matters even more fascinating, these cars have sold well. 

In 2024 alone, Americans have bought 40,000 cars made in China. Plus, the brands are surprising, and some buyers might not even know their car is, in fact, Chinese.

How did Canada become a hotbed for car theft?

Canada’s looting has people concerned

There’s one problem plaguing Canada’s private car fleet: they’re being stolen at an alarming rate. Some owners have woken up to their vehicles missing and, in a matter of months, they manage to track them down in Africa or Asia. 

While car theft is common in many Western countries, the increase has been so abrupt that even Interpol has gotten involved. Canada is one of the most affected countries, and it now ranks among the top ten countries for car theft. 

So, why is this country suffering when others aren’t? According to Interpol, there are many reasons, but they fail to convince Canadians that these reasons are enough to set the country apart.

BEST AND WORST

What to look for in a used Ram Truck?

Call it what you want: Dodge Ram or Ram. We can say it’s one of the most iconic trucks in the US.

However, finding one in good condition is quite a challenge. Remember that most of these are work trucks, and they’ve seen their fair share of miles. 

So, what must you look for when buying a used Ram Truck? Our article covers the essentials so that you make the best purchase possible. Not only that, but we highlight the common issues different Ram generations have. 

TIPS AND KNOW-HOW

What’s the cost of a replacement heater core for a Ford F-150?

While this seems like an extremely specific question, it’s quite common.

We’ve scoured the web and found that many want to know the price and whether you can replace an F-150 heater core at home.

Our article explains the intricacies of such a task. If you want to DIY this process, it’s essential to remember that it’s not the easiest. However, it’s not impossible.

NEWSBITES

Every week, we scour the web for the most essential news. Here’s what you need to know this week:

• We loved this article by Hagerty on how working on your car is a radical act.

• Chinese self-driving cars have navigated 1.8 million miles on US roads.

• These are the ten best SUVs built in America, and they're good.