Nissan, Ford, BMW file lawsuit against Takata in US over faulty airbag issue

Automakers claim Takata withheld information about defective inflators

Three automakers, Nissan, Ford, and BMW, have filed lawsuits against Takata in the United States in a bid to force the supplier to cover the losses they incurred due to faulty airbags, reports Bloomberg. Three automakers, Nissan, Ford, and BMW, have filed lawsuits against Takata in the United States in a bid to force the supplier to cover the losses they incurred due to faulty airbags, reports Bloomberg. Each automaker filed a separate lawsuit, over similar allegations. Ford was quoted as saying that it would not have purchased the airbag systems if the automaker had the true and accurate test data and information been communicated to it. “If Ford had known of the true and accurate information and data, it would have insisted that the problems be resolved prior to installation of the airbags in Ford vehicles or would have refused to purchase for installation into those vehicles," the automaker was quoted as saying. Significance: The automakers claim that Takata withheld information about defective inflators, which have caused airbags to rupture and injure people. The automakers are fighting consumer suits alleging they knew about the flawed devices. To date, the automakers have borne the cost of the recalls. In February this year, Takata pleaded guilty to criminal wire fraud and agreed to pay USD1 billion in connection with a United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) probe on the supplier's handling of faulty airbags. A US court on 27 February accepted Takata's guilty plea and restitution for automakers and victims injured or killed by defective air bag inflators. According to a report by Associated Press, Takata will pay USD850 million to automakers currently shouldering recalls costs, USD125 million to people affected by the defective airbags and USD25 million to the US government.