Takata's airbags exploded instead of inflating — 27 dead, 100M+ recalled

Takata Corporation, a Japanese auto parts manufacturer, used ammonium nitrate as the propellant in its airbag inflators. The chemical is effective but degrades when exposed to moisture and temperature cycling, becoming unstable. Internal testing had raised concerns, but Takata continued to use the cheaper chemical.

Beginning in the early 2000s, Takata airbags began rupturing in crashes, sending metal shrapnel into vehicle cabins. The defect was linked to at least 27 deaths and hundreds of injuries worldwide, predominantly in Honda vehicles. The recalls eventually covered over 100 million inflators across 19 automakers.

Takata pleaded guilty to fraud in 2017, agreeing to a $1 billion penalty. The company filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Key Safety Systems. The case became the largest automotive recall in history and illustrated how a cost-cutting decision on a safety-critical component can cascade into an industry-wide catastrophe.