Showdown looms between US gov't, air bag maker

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants Takata Corp. to recall millions of potentially faulty driver's side air bag inflators across the entire U.S. The air bags can explode with too much force, sending metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

But Takata, in communications early Wednesday from Japan, is holding to its stance that current recalls, issued only in high-humidity areas mainly in the South, are enough. A broader recall isn't supported by the evidence, the company says.

The polarized positions set up a showdown between NHTSA and Takata with automakers caught in the middle. The agency said that unless Takata and the car companies agree to the national recall quickly, it "will use the full extent of its statutory powers" to get the recall done. But clearly the agency is focused on Takata first.

"Takata's initial response, yes, an unwillingness to move forward," David Friedman, the agency's deputy administrator, said Tuesday. "Everyone needs to understand that Takata needs to act."

The showdown comes on the eve of a Senate committee hearing on the air bag problems. Lawmakers have criticized NHTSA for not forcing a nationwide recall sooner, and for what they say is a haphazard and slow response to the deadly problem. Friedman and a Takata quality executive are scheduled to face questioning.

At least five deaths and nearly 50 injuries have been linked to the air bags worldwide. Up until now, about 8 million cars in the U.S. with Takata inflators have been recalled for problems with either the driver or passenger side air bag, or both. Another 4 million vehicles have been recalled outside the U.S.