• Law

    After several years of complaints about the defective quality

    After several years of complaints about the defective quality of Takata airbags, the company began to work on a solution. During a lawsuit against the company, a former Takata airbag engineer spoke to The Times. He told how easily the company could evade detection by manipulating tests that measure airtightness. This former engineer is still working in the automotive industry. However, his testimony is not publicly available yet. The company originally blamed the defect on mishandling of propellant chemicals during assembly. Later, it blamed humidity, rust, bad welds, and chewing gum being dropped into the inflator. In 2002, the company allowed a defect rate that was six to eight times…