NHTSA: Our Safety from Dangerous Airbags “will take years”

Reuters reports:

“U.S. auto safety regulators are examining whether an additional 70 million to 90 million Takata Corp (7312.T) airbag inflators should be recalled because they may endanger drivers, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

That would nearly quadruple the 29 million inflators recalled so far and linked to nine deaths in the United States….

Takata cited its agreement with regulators in November to pay a $70 million penalty to NHTSA in a settlement that included its commitment to stop making inflators that use ammonium nitrate by 2018. It also pledged to declare all remaining ammonium nitrate inflators defective by 2019 unless it can demonstrate they are safe.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration continues to investigate all Takata inflators using ammonium nitrate, but it has not yet found sufficient evidence to direct automakers to recall the remaining inflators, said spokesman Gordon Trowbridge.

“This issue will take years to resolve,” Trowbridge said.”  

See  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-takata-inflators-exclusive-idUSKCN0VV0L6