Ford Steers Away from Takata Air Bags
Officials at Ford say they will avoid using Takata air bag inflators. They can shower passengers with shrapnel.
The Ford Motor Company is joining a list of other automakers who say they will no longer use air bag inflators built by the troubled Takata Corporation.
Takata air bags can shower passengers with shrapnel when they inflate.
Hundreds of injuries and at least eight fatalities are tied to the air bags.
The problem has led to more than 19 million vehicles being recalled in the U.S.
The government could order millions of other vehicles recalled because of the defect as well.
Takata previously reached a deal with federal regulators to pay a penalty of as much as $200 million.
Now officials at Ford, along with those at Honda, Toyota and Nissan, say they will no longer use the kind of inflators that were produced by Takata.
It is taking longer than usual to install new air bags because of the large number of recalls and a shortage of replacement parts.
