Do You Want Shrapnel with That Airbag?

If the auto industry's reaction to the danger had the slow-motion lethargy of a nightmare, that of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was nearly comatose. The federal agency responsible for vehicle safety had received complaints about exploding airbags as early as 2000, but didn't open its first investigation until 2009. Then, in "a timetable so swift that it appears to have taken even Takata by surprise," it closed the inquiry after six months, according to the Times. NHTSA concluded, "there are no additional vehicles to be investigated." By 2014, an undeniable trail of bloody dots led back to Takata and the 11 U.S., German and Japanese firms that had equipped 37.8 million vehicles with dangerous airbag inflators and propellants. Finally, this year, under mounting congressional, public and media pressure, NHTSA opened a second investigation, and "urged" a nationwide recall. On Dec. 2, Takata refused, and NHTSA expressed "disappointment." NHTSA cavalierly "urges vehicle owners and repair professionals to use only certified, original equipment replacement parts." Its website also notes that the agency "is aware" of counterfeits for 21 automakers and more than 100 models and estimates that tens of thousands of fake bags are on the road. These can fail to deploy or, like legitimate but defective Takata bags, explode and produce "a fireball and forcefully expel metal shrapnel," a Homeland Security agent testified in court.