Scandal! The Takata airbag

This was the biggest scandal in automotive history. A record number of cars were recalled, huge fines were levied, customers (and car makers) were deceived.  People have died, many more were injured. It involved a part that is designed to make every car safer. But instead of saving lives, it took them. It was perpetrated by a company that specialised in car safety equipment.

It was a scandal that blew up in the face of its manufacturer. And long after said manufacturer ceased to be, it is still ongoing,

The Takata airbag scandal has been endangering motorists for more than 20 years. The problem centres around unstable chemicals in the airbag inflator, causing airbags to explode with too much force. Shards from metal cartridges, used to inflate the airbag, can also be sprayed at occupants at 200mph, dosing them with shrapnel.