[wheelguy]

Takata had sold defective airbag inflators using ammonium nitrate, which were at risk of exploding violently in a crash and injuring passengers with metal shards.

Global automakers may face another potentially huge air-bag recall as the U.S. transport regulator evaluates the long-term safety of inflators made by bankrupt supplier Takata.

The manufacturing entity left after the supplier’s implosion faces a Dec. 31 deadline toshow the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that as many as 100 million inflators containing a chemical drying agent will be safe long-term.

Those would be on top of the previous round of recalls, which started in 2008 and is linked to at least 23 deaths worldwide and more than 200 injuries in the U.S. alone. Takata had sold defective air bag inflators using ammonium nitrate, which were at risk of exploding violently in a crash and injuring passengers with metal shards. The Japanese parts maker pleaded guilty to a wire-fraud charge as part of a $1 billion settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over the air-bag problems, and later went out of business.

If the supplier can’t demonstrate the safety or durability of newer desiccant-equipped inflators, the U.S. agency may order that they be recalled as well. The total bill for another massive recall could reach tens of billions of dollars, with carmakers bearing the brunt of the costs.

Under a 2015 consent order, Takata air bag inflators using ammonium nitrate, a widely-used chemical explosive, were progressively banned because the propellant tended to become unstable in humid climates. Years before, because of this risk, Takata added a chemical drying agent to its inflators and also used them to replace defective parts.

Takata initially sought to limit the initial batch of air-bag inflator recalls based on specific types and location, but as more injuries and deaths mounted, all units using ammonium nitrate were recalled, with the exception of those equipped with the drying agent while Takata and others in the auto industry studied their long-term safety.

Full article at: ET Auto

[CARDEEP]

What the alarming/appalling is the attitude of Japanese regulators who are keen to prosecute foreigner Carlos Ghosn for financial irregularities, but have not initiated any step against fellow Japanese manufacturers of defective vehicles &/or parts that have endangered lives of humans. Fellows have gotten away with public apology in press meets, but foreigners are portrayed as devils & hounded using medival tactics.

Plus there's been failure of their top rated production techniques that are boasted to produce defect free products.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by CARDEEP

Plus there's been failure of their top rated production techniques that are boasted to produce defect free products.

I firmly believe that the impression of Japanese = defect free is perhaps their single biggest marketing success. Sure, Toyota's and Honda's vehicles in the 70s were more reliable than their American counterparts, but that was that. They have cashed in on this for decades. The world has since moved on, and others have made giant strides. As the Koreans have already demonstrated and as the Chinese are now showing, reliability is not the monopoly of the Japanese alone and it doesn't have to cost a premium either. This is not specific to automobiles but a broad generalization of overall manufacturing.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I firmly believe that the impression of Japanese = defect free is perhaps their single biggest marketing success. Sure, Toyota's and Honda's vehicles in the 70s were more reliable than their American counterparts, but that was that. They have cashed in on this for decades. The world has since moved on, and others have made giant strides. As the Koreans have already demonstrated

I stopped your post there, as I know for sure the Koreans are above Japanese level when it comes to cars, Chinese not so sure but given enough motivation they will get there, so, sure.

Your post is absolutely spot on, and I'm glad that there is one other person who feels that. Everywhere I go people ask why I didn't buy a Honda City or a Ciaz, how do I even begin to explain that the car I have is much better at a marginal higher cost.

I've said this before in this forum and was berated for being overly harsh, but in which world would one expect a protective technology to end people's lives? The shifty Japanese Kabushiki corporations are all married to each other and support each other to the hilt. Takata must be sued into the ground, America's billion dollar penalties didn't hurt them, they must be sued for trillions and file bankruptcy to end their useless company for good.

But perhaps, no.. Japan has got too much goodwill and any product of theirs is deemed the best by default (though it's the opposite). Sad.

[CARDEEP]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I firmly believe that the impression of Japanese = defect free is perhaps their single biggest marketing success. Sure, Toyota's and Honda's vehicles in the 70s were more reliable than their American counterparts, but that was that. They have cashed in on this for decades. The world has since moved on, and others have made giant strides. As the Koreans have already demonstrated and as the Chinese are now showing, reliability is not the monopoly of the Japanese alone and it doesn't have to cost a premium either. This is not specific to automobiles but a broad generalization of overall manufacturing.

Agree with you, they have been followers off late (rather for 2 decades), playing safe (barring Mazda IMO) just adding precision engineering to market driven products.

Obviously they are spending heavily on marketing & (covert) advertising to ensure public is always under impression that Japanese are still the best. They are constantly beaten by Porsche, VW & Koreans in quality game in North America & Europe.

They were leaders in fuel-cell research but have squandered lead to Germans & Koreans. They don't have good diesel engines either & those from GM & Hyundai are far better, & I'm not comparing with the Germans. All know what best Honda could manage with VW copied diesel.

They are borrowing engines from Germans to make some noise, making cars that rev hard, but not burning the tarmac with 0-100 numbers or top speed. Forget the turbo charging that's i'm sure they will be the last to adopt to in commercial sense/ numbers.

Then biggest quality issue these days is infotainment system, & biggest auto major is slow to get Andriod Auto & Apple Carplay on their vehicles that are sold at price of Uber-Premium brands in India. I'd rather buy the base mode of Hexa (400 Nm torque one) over Innova Crysta & spend some money on bigger tyres, infotainment system & few necessities still save few lakhs at time of buying. Please show me a diesel vehicle that fetches millions in NCR after 10 years.

Cut short their cars are not special enough as compared to those 40 years ago & they are outclassed by Germans, Americans, Koreans & now Chinese. I'm sure if M&M & Tata can manage tweak their production processes, the Japs will be selling to fleet only.

Coming to business model, Japanese model is lending money & getting favours (tax concessions, exemptions, etc.) from governments for Japanese businesses who make fat money, unlike Chinese who are into outright acquisition (neo-imperialistic, refer CPEC & Silk Route).