A coalition of the world's biggest automakers have identified the key culprit behind an airbag defect at Japanese supplier Takata, which has been linked to at least ten deaths globally.
The Independent Testing Coalition (ITC) -- a group of 10 companies including Toyota, General Motors and BMW -- said testing turned up three factors behind the fatal fault, all linked to moisture.
Its report, published late Tuesday, found that the combination of a lack of water-absorbing chemicals, inadequate design and high temperatures could cause the airbags to rupture.
Those findings are in line with long-held suspicions that the chemical used to inflate Takata airbags can be unstable, especially in hot and humid conditions.
The flaw means the airbags can deploy with explosive force, sending metal and plastic shrapnel hurtling toward drivers and passengers -- in some cases killing them or causing grisly injuries.
ITC coordinator David Kelly, a former acting administrator of the US auto safety regulator, called the findings an "important first step".
"The ITC will use this data to develop our comprehensive understanding of this critical issue," Kelly added.
The testing was done by US-based aerospace firm Orbital ATK, which conducted 20,000 hours of testing and analysis that "yielded a root cause", the coalition said.
In response, Takata said the findings were "consistent" with its own testing that found heat and moisture were "significant factors in the small number of inflators that have malfunctioned".
The ITC said the "next phase" of its probe will focus on inflators that are being used as replacement parts for current recalls.
At least 10 deaths, including nine in the United States, have been tied to the fault, with some 28 million Takata airbags having been recalled in the US alone.
Takata has been hammered by the scandal as it faces investigations, lawsuits and a plunging share price.
Its shares fell 0.41 percent to 483 yen ($4.30) on Wednesday in Tokyo. The stock has lost more than 60 percent of its value in the last year.
The results of the ITC probe come after the US auto safety watchdog on Monday said that tens of millions of additional cars could be recalled over the issue.
AFP
Wed Feb 24 2016
Those findings are in line with long-held suspicions that the chemical used to inflate Takata airbags can be unstable, especially in hot and humid conditions. -Reuters
MAIWP peruntuk RM30.6 juta untuk skim BKB di Labuan
MAIWP Labuan telah memperuntukkan RM30.6 juta untuk Skim Bantuan Kewangan Bulanan (BKB) yang memberi manfaat kepada 5,406 ketua keluarga.
Fokus Minggu Depan: PRK KKB, sentimen semasa pengundi…
Ikuti kupasan Pengurus Kanan Penyelidikan Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE), Khairul Arifin, dan wartawan Astro AWANI, Firdaus Azil mengenai tinjauan semasa Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Kuala Kubu Baharu.
Banjir pulih, PPS Kota Tinggi ditutup
Pusat Pemindahan Sementara (PPS) Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Lintang yang dibuka untuk kemudahan mangsa banjir di persekitarannya semalam telah ditutup pada pukul 2.30 petang tadi.
Faisal Halim cedera disimbah cecair dipercayai asid
Terdapat kecederaan dilihat di bahagian muka, kepala dan bahagian belakang pemain tersebut.
Polis tahan dua lelaki, sita kenderaan papar gambar Agong pada kempen PRK KKB
Kedua-dua lelaki itu ditahan di sekitar Ulu Yam Lama, selepas polis menerima laporan mengenainya pada pukul 6.18 petang semalam.
Syarikat pengeluar minyak wangi, Yaya Empire bertaraf global
Syarikat pengeluar perfume, Yaya Empire antara salah sebuah syarikat tempatan yang berjaya menempa nama dalam industri haruman bertaraf global selepas meneroka pasaran luar Malaysia.
PN belum tentukan lagi jumlah kerusi akan ditandingi pada PRN Sabah nanti
Muhyiddin berkata PN dan Bersatu akan sertai PRN Sabah ke-17, namun soal bilangan kerusi bakal ditandingi belum lagi dibuat.
Subsidi bersasar: Jangan buat spekulasi, tunggu pengumuman rasmi kerajaan
Fuziah berkata, setakat ini tiada pengumuman dibuat, sekali gus menyangkal laporan media luar kononnya kerajaan telah membuat keputusan.
Piala Thomas: Rexy mahu perseorangan negara lebih mantap di Horsens
Dalam tempoh dua tahun lagi, skuad lelaki akan lebih seimbang memandangkan kem beregu negara lebih stabil berbanding perseorangan negara.
Polis serah siasatan pesawat terhempas di Sungkai kepada CAAM
Setakat ini pihak Biro Siasatan Kemalangan Udara (BSKU) di bawah Kementerian Pengangkutan masih melakukan siasatan di lokasi kejadian.