U.S. reports 28th death caused by exploding Takata airbag inflators that spew shrapnel

DETROIT — Another death has been linked to dangerous Takata airbag inflators by U.S. regulators, the 28th in the United States.

The driver was killed in 2018 in Alabama in a Honda vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said, but gave no further details. It says the death underscores the need for people to replace recalled airbag inflators.

Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate airbags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time due to high heat and humidity and explode with too much force. That can blow apart a metal canister and send shrapnel into the passenger compartment. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt.

Worldwide at least 36 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S.

Honda said in a statement that the Alabama death occurred in Etowah County and involved a 2004 Honda Civic. It involved a high speed crash which complicated efforts to definitively determine the cause of death.

Honda, the company that used more Takata airbags in its cars than any other automaker, said it has replaced or accounted for 95% of the recalled inflators in its vehicles.

“Honda continues to urge owners of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by the Takata airbag inflator recalls to get their vehicles repaired at an authorized dealership as soon as possible,” the company statement said.

Honda and Acura owners can check their for recalls at www.recalls.honda.com and www.recalls.acura.com. Owners also can go to nhtsa.com/recalls and key in their vehicle identification or license plate numbers.

Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding airbags sent Takata into bankruptcy.