Takata rejects broader airbag recall

Washington: A senior Takata Corp executive on Wednesday defended the Japanese company’s rejection of a nationwide US recall of its potentially deadly airbags, insisting that testing data did not back such an action.

But the top US auto safety official warned that Takata had not yet solved the reason for shrapnel-firing airbag eruptions thought to have killed five people, and said the company and car makers could face court action for their reticence to widen recalls. The NHTSA had given Takata until Tuesday night to broaden the existing recall, which has been limited only to cars in hot and humid areas where the risk of an explosive airbag deployment is believed to be much higher.