Auto manufacturer Mitsubishi is the latest company to be announcing a vehicle recall and once again it has to do with Takata airbags.
The recall includes Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While this recall is on a small scale, it still drives worries for the industry.
The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the Japanese automaker was recalling a limited number of 2004 and 2005 Lancer sedans that were fitted with the Takata passenger side air bags. The inflators may cause the bags to open with too much force.
"In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger-side frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture, with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the vehicle occupants," the NHTSA said in detailing the issues that the vehicles may have.
Mitsubishi had sent letters to the NHTSA earlier this month that noted the potential safety hazard in informing the regulatory agency of the default.
Some 12 million vehicles that were equipped with the Takata air bags or inflators have been recalled over the past five years. Honda has already announced its own recall of vehicles due to the air bag problem.
Takata has said that the resulting default has cost the company some $440 million, but it has been optimistically open about the default, having told the NHTSA in June that there were nine automakers in the U.S. alone that had sold vehicles containing their air bags in the aforementioned states and territories.
"Due to NHTSA's belief that humidity is a contributing factor to the inflator condition at issue, the (recall) will be limited to affected vehicles that are registered in, or were originally sold in Florida, Hawai, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands," Mitsubishi said in one of its letters to NHTSA.
Earlier this year, General Motors recalled thousands of cars after a major default in their ignition systems had left a number of individuals dead. The company's response has been called sloppy and slow, prompting government intervention. Likewise, Ford and other car companies have also announced recalls, highlighting the ongoing safety issues facing carmakers in the U.S.
