In this eye catching article titled “It Looked Like a Stabbing, but Takata Air Bag Was the Killer,” the death of Hien Tran was the third case of the defective airbag problem by Takata. These series of deaths, caused by the exploding airbag sending deadly shrapnel flying at the victim’s face, signals a major issue for some key Japanese car manufacturers, including Honda and Toyota.
Hien Tran, an unfortunate victim of the Takata air bags.
Many recalls have been made by Honda and currently there is a “safety crisis” in the Japanese automobile industry. In the automobile industry, aside from technological innovations, design, and energy reduction, safety is a huge issue. Losing ground in safety guarantees would mean a major deficit and issues for these large automobile manufacturers as well Takata, which will likely begin to lose partnerships. In order to recall vehicles to solve these airbag issues, these manufacturers will no doubt utilize many expenses, but more importantly, they will begin losing reputation with customers. My family recently purchased a new Honda Odyssey, however, we have gotten no notice of recall. Nevertheless, these incidents have given me a negative viewpoint towards Japanese car manufacturers and, likely similar to many other consumers, will cause me to greatly reconsider future automobile purchases. I believe that car manufacturers must not only better ensure the safety of their future vehicles, but also establish more secure and well researched partnerships. While Takata failed Honda and other car manufacturers, they also failed to properly ensure that Takata were properly functioning before bringing their products into the market.