NHTSA mulls expanding faulty Takata airbags recall

Says root cause of problem still not known

US regulator the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed during a public hearing on 22 October that a root cause of the faulty Takata airbags has not been found and that the recall could grow, according to media reports. The agency has determined that vehicles in hot, humid climates for at least five years are most at risk of the airbags issue, suggesting climate is a contributing factor. Additionally, the agency confirmed that it is expanding the airbags recall to include side-impact airbag inflators, such as those involving General Motors (GM) and Volkswagen (VW) vehicles. GM has issued a recall of affected vehicles, while the VW Tiguan was still under investigation prior to the hearing.