Takata says it has adequate funds to cater for recalls

Airbag crisis may spur Japanese maintenance changes

Takata claims to have sufficient funds to deal with global recalls due to potentially defective airbags, reports Reuters, citing a company executive. "Takata is prioritizing the supply of replacement parts. We have sufficient funds put aside, and we are not concerned that we are under-capitalized. We will take steps on the financing side if needed," said Shigehisa Takada, CEO of Takata. Separately, the massive global recall crisis centred on potentially defective airbags could lead to some changes by Japanese automakers as to how car owners are advised to maintain airbags, including the regular replacement of chemicals used to inflate them, reports Bloomberg. "There will be discussions on whether chemicals need to be replaced after being used for some years," said Fumihiko Ike, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and Honda. Automakers have already started informal discussions on the issue, he added.