Takata

Takata Corporation, commonly referred to simply as Takata, was a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo. It was one of the world's largest suppliers of airbag inflators and other safety components and operated plants and sales networks globally.

Founded in the early 1930s, Takata developed into a major supplier of automotive safety systems, with its inflators used in vehicles from many manufacturers around the world.

Investigations by regulators and manufacturers concluded that certain Takata airbag inflators could rupture during deployment due to moisture-accelerated degradation of the ammonium nitrate propellant, sending metal fragments into the vehicle cabin. Beginning around 2013, a recall campaign expanded worldwide and became the largest in automotive history, affecting tens of millions of vehicles and resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.

In 2017 Takata filed for bankruptcy protection. In 2018 its assets were acquired by Key Safety Systems, a US-based supplier that is part of the Ningbo Joyson group. The Takata corporate entity was dissolved and the inflator business operates under the new ownership.

The case prompted regulatory reforms and heightened emphasis on safety testing and recall procedures around the world and had lasting effects on the automotive safety industry.