Takata, a Japanese supplier, makes many of the airbags used in nearly two dozen car brands in the United States. Over time, it was discovered that some of their airbags may spontaneously inflate, sending shrapnel into the cars interior. Takata accepted fault in 2013, but claimed that only six makes were involved. However, a New York Times article in 2014 reported 139 injuries, including two deaths, from all automakers. And the problem has intensified in recent years, with a Consumer Report article in 2019 reporting 24 deaths and 300 injuries worldwide that can be linked to Takata airbags. At first, Takata said that its propellants were improperly handled and caused the airbags to burst. But later reports revealed long-standing propellant problems and unacceptable defect rates at some plants. The Times article alleged that Takata knew about the defects as early as 2004, conducted secret tests to understand the problem, and later destroyed the data and physical evidence. It took Takata four years to acknowledge the problem. Takata called the Times article inaccurate, but as of 2019, had recalled 41 million vehicles. Now, Takatas reputation has taken a hit. Think of yourself as a small crisis management team hired to help Takata restore its reputation. Conduct an analysis of the problem, using the following blog post by Clifford Atiyeh and Rusty Blackwell in Car and Driver: Massive Takata Airbag Recall: Everything You Need to Know, Including Full List of Affected Vehicles, updated March 29, 2019:

Massive Takata Airbag Recall: Everything You Need to Know, Including Full List of Affected Vehicles

The automotive world and beyond is buzzing about the massive airbag recall covering many millions of vehicles in the United States from nearly two dozen brands. Heres what you need to know about the problem; which vehicles may have the defective, shrapnel-shooting inflator parts from Japanese supplier Takata; and what to do if your vehicle is one of them.

LATEST UPDATES

4/21/2021: American Honda released a statement confirming that a defective Takata airbag inflator rupture was at fault in the death of a person driving a 2002 Honda Accord that crashed on January 9, 2021. This is the 16th death related to Takata inflator ruptures in Hondas in the United States, the automaker said. There have also been more than 200 injuries to occupants of Hondas because of the Takata inflators. Honda noted that the car had been under recall since April 2011 and the driver killed in the crash was not the registered owner of the Accord. Honda also said that it is continuing to urge owners of older Honda and Acura vehicles from 20012003 model years to get their vehicles to a dealership to have potentially defective airbags replaced. Today's statement followed a joint inspection by NHTSA and American Honda. 2/21/20: The challenge of replacing roughly 56 million inflators has proven to be formidable, as 15.9 million defective airbags remain on the road, according to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report. The report says that although over 70 percent of the recalled airbags have been replaced, about half of the remaining inflators are equipped in vehicles that are older or inherently more difficult to reach.

12/5/19: Takata is recalling 1.4 million older driver's-side airbag inflators equipped on certain U.S. cars from the 1995 through 2000 model years. The inflators can either have too much or too little moisture within the propellant, which in a crash can cause the inflator to either deploy too slowly or rupture, according to a NHTSA filing. The inflators were installed on Audi, BMW, Honda, Toyota, and Mitsubishi models, although so far only BMW has identified the affected models (they are the 1999 through 2001 3-series). Takata admitted it built nearly 4.5 million faulty inflators in total and that many of the inflators are now in vehicles long out of service. The 1.4 million inflators are only an estimate and could easily grow in number.

3/29/19, 5:00 p.m.: Honda issued a statement saying that it has just learned that, back in June 2018, a defective Takata airbag inflator ruptured, killing the driver of a 2002 Honda Civic in Buckeye, Arizona. The company's spokesperson said Honda is "very sorry to report" this news, which it said Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) "only recently became aware" of. Honda said it "pleads" with owners of vehicles containing the potentially dangerous Takata products to check for open recalls by looking on the Honda recalls website and get their vehicles repaired at no cost to them. This marks the 14th death in the United States related to the Takata airbag inflators in Honda vehicles, along with more than 200 injuries, the automaker said. Two other deaths related to Takata inflators have been recorded in the U.S. in non-Honda vehicles, it said.

3/12/19, 10:30 a.m.: Honda is recalling 1.1 million cars to replace their replacement airbag inflators. A crash involving a 2004 Odyssey bruised the driver's arm after the company found the Takata replacement, a desiccated driver's-side inflator that is supposed to resist moisture, had ruptured due to "excessive moisture" that accumulated at the Takata factory in Mexico. Honda said it would mail recall notices to owners in April, but that replacement parts from non-Takata suppliers were available now. The recalled cars have all been recalled previously.

12/13/18: Toyota has announced a repeat recall for some 65,000 vehicles that had previously been recalled to replace their Takata passenger-side airbags. The replacement airbags were also made by Takata, although with a different kind of propellant, but the automaker has determined there is still risk that they could rupture unexpectedly. Toyota will replace them again with "an improved one produced by non-Takata suppliers." The affected vehicles are 20022005 Lexus SC430 and Toyota Sequoia and 20032005 Corolla and Tundra models. Owners will be notified in January.

9/28/18, 12:00 p.m.: Honda is recalling an additional one million cars to replace Takata passenger-side airbag inflators. Affected models are: 20102011 Civic, CR-V, and Element; 20102012 Accord and Acura RL; 20102013 Fit and Acura ZDX; 20102014 Insight, Ridgeline, and Acura TSX; 20102015 Crosstour and Pilot; 20112014 Acura TSX wagon; 2014 FCX Clarity and Fit EV.

The issue involves defective inflator and propellent devices that may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, shooting metal fragments into vehicle occupants. Approximately 42 million vehicles are potentially affected in the United States, and at least 7 million have been recalled worldwide. (UPDATE 9/28/2016: Affected-vehicle numbers, along with improper-deployment figures, continue to grow, as detailed in the updates below.)

Initially, only six makes were involved when Takata announced the fault in April 2013, but a Toyota recall in June this yearalong with new admissions from Takata that it had little clue as to which cars used its defective inflators, or even what the root cause wasprompted more automakers to issue identical recalls. In July, NHTSA forced additional regional recalls in high-humidity areas including Florida, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to gather removed parts and send them to Takata for review.

Another major recall issued on October 20 expanded the affected vehicles across several brands. For its part, Toyota said it would begin to replace defective passenger-side inflators starting October 25; if parts are unavailable, however, it has advised its dealers to disable the airbags and affix Do Not Sit Here messages to the dashboard.

While Toyota says there have been no related injuries or deaths involving its vehicles, a New York Times report in September found a total of at least 139 reported injuries across all automakers. In particular, there have been at least two deaths and 30 injuries in Honda vehicles (UPDATE 12/12/2016: These figures are now verified as 11 deaths and 184 injuries in the U.S., as detailed in the updates below). According to the Times, Honda and Takata allegedly have known about the faulty inflators since 2004 but failed to notify NHTSA in previous recall filings (which began in 2008) that the affected airbags had actually ruptured or were linked to injuries and deaths.

Takata first said that propellant chemicals were mishandled and improperly stored during assembly, which supposedly caused the metal airbag inflators to burst open due to excessive pressure inside. In July, the company blamed humid weather and spurred additional recalls.

While Toyota says there have been no related injuries or deaths involving its vehicles, a New York Times report in September found a total of at least 139 reported injuries across all automakers. In particular, there have been at least two deaths and 30 injuries in Honda vehicles (UPDATE 12/12/2016: These figures are now verified as 11 deaths and 184 injuries in the U.S., as detailed in the updates below). According to the Times, Honda and Takata allegedly have known about the faulty inflators since 2004 but failed to notify NHTSA in previous recall filings (which began in 2008) that the affected airbags had actually ruptured or were linked to injuries and deaths.

Takata first said that propellant chemicals were mishandled and improperly stored during assembly, which supposedly caused the metal airbag inflators to burst open due to excessive pressure inside. In July, the company blamed humid weather and spurred additional recalls.

Identify the elements of this problem: the undesirable existing situation, goal, and obstacles.

Craft a clear discussion question to focus your problem-solving process.

Using The Table as your guide, evaluate Takatas problem in terms of each characteristic:

Task difficulty: high, medium, or low? Why?

Solution multiplicity: high, medium, or low? Why?

Intrinsic interest: high, medium, or low? Why?

Member familiarity: high, medium, or low? Why?

Acceptance level: high, medium, or low? Why?

TASK DIFFICULTY

Adaptation for high difficulty:

Plan to meet often.

Use detailed problem mapping.

Include many subquestions to the problem-solving procedure.

Form a detailed implementation plan, in writing.

SOLUTION MULTIPLICITY

Adaptation for high multiplicity:

Use brainstorming or one of its variations to generate many ideas.

Use synectics or another creativity-enhancing technique to help members relax and be creative.

Leave plenty of time for generating ideas; dont rush the process.

INTRINSIC INTEREST

Adaptation for high interest:

Set aside a ventilation period early in the problem-solving process for members to express their feelings.

Leave plenty of time for early ventilation.

Dont overcontrol the ventilation process or introduce structured procedures too early.

MEMBER FAMILIARITY

Adaptation for high familiarity:

Focus on establishment of clear criteria.

Focus on evaluating the options using the criteria developed.

Adaptation for low familiarity:

Use detailed problem mapping.

Use consultants and outside experts for help.

ACCEPTANCE LEVEL

Adaptation for high acceptance requirements:

Include representatives in your group from groups that must accept the decision.

Use techniques to spot potential problems before finally deciding on a solution.

Pretest a solution by partially implementing it and agreeing to pull back if it doesnt seem to work.