U.S. agency confirms air bag safety probe into 30 million vehicles

U.S. auto safety investigators said on Tuesday they have opened a probe into 30 million vehicles built by nearly two dozen automakers that have potentially defective Takata air bag inflators.

U.S. auto safety investigators said on Tuesday they have opened a probe into 30 million vehicles built by nearly two dozen automakers that have potentially defective Takata airbag inflators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an engineering analysis into an estimated 30 million U.S. vehicles from the 2001 through 2019 model years, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing a document that had not been made public. The agency confirmed the new probe on Tuesday and said it applied to 1,384 different vehicle models.

No immediate safety risk has been identified and drivers do not need to take action, the agency said. Over the last decade, more than 67 million Takata airbag inflators have been recalled in the United States and more than 100 million worldwide, in the biggest auto safety callback in history prompted by concerns the inflators could explode and, in rare instances, send deadly metal fragments flying.

There have been at least 28 deaths worldwide, including 19 in the United States tied to faulty Takata inflators, and more than 400 injuries. The new investigation includes vehicles assembled by Honda Motor Co, Ford Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp, General Motors Co, Nissan Motor, Subaru, Tesla, Ferrari NV, Nissan Motor, Mazda, Daimler AG, BMW Chrysler (now part of Stellantis NV ), Porsche Cars, Jaguar Land Rover (owned by Tata Motors), among others.

NHTSA said in an emailed statement that "while no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled" inflators. The agency added it "is not aware at this time of any ruptures, injuries or fatalities due to propellant degradation in these inflators, and the driving public does not need to take any action."

The 30 million vehicles that are part of the new investigation have inflators with a "desiccant" or drying agent. The Takata inflators previously recalled did not have the drying agent.

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