agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Congress Sets Hearing on Takata, Automakers Expand Recalls

Five automakers on Thursday widened recalls of cars and trucks with Takata Corp air bags and the U.S. Congress set a hearing next week on the safety issue that has been linked to six deaths, reported Reuters. Takata last week complied with demands of U.S. safety regulators and doubled the vehicles to be involved in air ... Read More »

June 2, 2015
3 min to read


Five automakers on Thursday widened recalls of cars and trucks with Takata Corp air bags and the U.S. Congress set a hearing next week on the safety issue that has been linked to six deaths, reported Reuters.

Takata last week complied with demands of U.S. safety regulators and doubled the vehicles to be involved in air bag recalls to 34 million, making it the largest recall in American history. The total number globally is more than 53 million vehicles.

Ad Loading...

The air bags are at risk of exploding with too much force and spewing metal fragments inside the car, regulators say. All six deaths linked to the problem were in Honda Motor Co Ltd vehicles.

The recalls announced on Thursday by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda, BMW, Ford Motor Co and Mitsubishi Motors Corp are included in the figures issued last week by Takata and U.S. regulator the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Automakers, regulators and Takata have yet to identify the root cause of the problem.

A hearing billed as an update on the Takata safety issue will be held next Tuesday afternoon by the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade.

U.S. Representative Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican, said on Thursday: “When an air bag – a device built to enhance motorist safety – is actually putting families in peril, we can’t wait years for a fix.”

Ad Loading...

U.S. lawmakers have complained that both Takata and NHTSA were mishandling the air bag safety issue. NHTSA has tried to show its bite under new head Mark Rosekind, who took the helm in January.

Rosekind will appear before the subcommittee next week. The panel will also hear from Takata Executive Vice President Kevin Kennedy, two leaders of automaker lobbying groups and the director of an independent testing organization.

Fiat Chrysler on Thursday expanded its recalls of vehicles with Takata air bags to about 5.22 million worldwide, involving the 2003 to 2011 model years. About 4.5 million of those vehicles are in the United States. Most of the vehicles have been involved in previous recall campaigns, FCA said.

Ford widened its recall of vehicles with Takata air bags to 1.51 million vehicles globally, including 1.38 million in the United States. The worldwide figure is up from 543,031 before last week’s announcements by NHTSA and Takata, Ford said.

Honda expanded its recall of vehicles with Takata air bag inflators by 350,000 in the United States and 340,000 in Japan.

Ad Loading...

Since 2008, Honda has recalled about 20 million vehicles worldwide with Takata air bag parts.

BMW said it is widening U.S. recalls of models with Takata air bags to 420,661 vehicles from 140,696.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp widened its recall of vehicles with Takata air bags to 82,784 in the U.S. market.

Nissan Motor Co told NHTSA that it will not expand its recall of U.S. recalls equipped with Takata air bags.

More Industry

Blue and white RV parked on beach facing the ocean.
Industryby Lauren LawrenceSeptember 3, 2026

RV Group Expands Carolina Footprint

Blue Compass RV Columbia Northeast is the 13th RV dealership owned by Blue Compass in the Carolinas.

Read More →
Photo of two men and one woman on a discussion panel
Industryby Hannah MitchellSeptember 1, 2026

Agent Acumen

An Agent Summit panel of people who’ve been supporting auto dealers for years gave both timely and timeless advice for those starting out or mulling the prospect.

Read More →
Gloved hand holding two wrenches next to “Turn Overdue into Opportunity” Graphic
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 27, 2026

Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity

As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Mitsubishi shadow line-up
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 25, 2026

Mitsubishi Unveils U.S. Plan

The automaker announced a strategy that includes an expanded lineup and dealership presence, along with more ‘rugged’ and electric models.

Read More →
Photo of a laptop, cellphone and eyeglasses on a desk next to an office window
IndustryAugust 24, 2026

Selling to Grow

The question of whether you should sell your agency and if so, when, is up to you. But it’s a question worth asking to ensure you keep the business on the right path for yourself, employees and clients.

Read More →
Mechanic holding a vehicle diagnostic device while standing above an open car hood
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 24, 2026

Recalled Vehicles Hit 5-Year High

Though the number of events has fallen so far this year, impacted units are up significantly. Meanwhile, regulators consider consumer notification changes.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
outside of car dealership with cars parked in front
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 20, 2026

Auto Group Acquires Top-Performing Rooftop

Car Pros sold its Kia Huntington Beach location to Sutherlin Automotive Group, marking the buyer’s third location in Southern California.

Read More →
Cars from the rear on a Shanghai freeway
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 19, 2026

China as Pacesetter

Automotive leaders huddled on where North America stands in the global picture and how it can strengthen its position against the Asian juggernaut’s surging industry.

Read More →
Orange BMW car on empty road.
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 14, 2026

BMW Concept Car Makes Fuel to Burn

The prototype developed in concert with a South Carolina university engineering team generates more solar energy than it uses in a typical daily commute.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Six men standing for photo outside of car dealership
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 13, 2026

South Carolina Auto Group Downsizes

Florida-based group Holler-Classic has acquired four rooftops, its first in South Carolina, from Dick Smith Automotive Group.

Read More →
Ad Loading...