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Takata's airbag defect explodes into global crisis

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Executive vice President Yoichiro Nomura told a Tokyo press briefing last week that the firm “sincerely apologizes” for the defect.

But when asked about its seemingly flat-footed public relations response, Nomura said: “We want to make announcements appropriately.”

Typical clueless Japanese response in regards to the U.S. market. Trust me Nomura-san, the folks in the states, especially the lawyers who are lining up to sue Takata's butt off, don't care one bit about "sincere apologies" or "announcements appropriately". They are going to focus on you burning the test results and hiding the problems for ten years. A bow and an apology may work in Japan, where regulators, the press, and courts are inclined to protect Japan Inc., but elsewhere, you have to pay for that kind of activity. Hope they have a much more worldly spokeperson to represent them in the states.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

An interesting aspect in all of this is the incredible foot-dragging by Takata over announcing, acknowledging and fixing the problem. The media here have been basically "kind" to the company and it's officiandos.

I can't help but recall the frenzy of media activity a few years ago when Schindler elevators(german co) were publicly crucified for their seemingly slow response to the death of a child in one of their elevators. The blame was plastered on and the "bad" elevator was eventually replaced by a "good" Japanese one.

Skip to the present and the silence - in comparison - is deafening. Takata needs to be grilled and re-grilled over this and it should be constant headlines in the media until satisfactory explanations and decisions to remedy are given.

If this doesn't happen then I'm afraid the suspect coziness that is Japan Inc, Govt, & Big Media will never reform.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

A pity. I use a Takata racing harness on the track and love it. Hoping they can get their act together.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Browny1, your post says it all! Every day, there was a story on every channel about Schindler. Go outside right now and ask a hundred Japanese people about this and you'll be lucky to find two who have heard about it. That's Japan.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

browny1 -- spot on. Japan is a "protected market" in so many respects. And J-Inc business people, unfortunately, think they can operate by the same rules everywhere. I hope the criminal investigation in the U.S. can identify specific Japanese-based executives who covered this all up, (if there are any) and brings charges against them, and demands extradition. Let's see what happens then.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Seems like the company's spokesman is an airbag that doesn't work properly either......

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I thought Mitsubishi Motors held the monopoly for hiding data with their cars. Any readers out there who remember that incident? I for one will never forget as I stupidly took my brand new Mitsubishi Mirage for problems 16 times. Everytime they would have an upgraded substitute car ready for me and I loved it for a while until the Mirage started breaking down on busy highways.

After lots of "gomennasai`s" I finally got rid of the Mitsubishi junk after just 3 years of shuttling back and forth to their garage. It was almost 6 months after I had junked the car that I started reading in the papers about the defects in Mitsubishi cars and that the data had been found hidden in the company lockers. (at least they didn't burn it like Takata).

Although it was too late to do anything with my situation I loved it whenever I passed by the defunct Mitsubishi dealer's vacant lot. The scandal had apparently scared away its loyal customers. I am depending on the US "ambulance chasers" to ensure that Takata and others like it will be taught a lesson that they will never forget.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

And so continues the tumbling of the Japanese automotive industry, following in the steps og the Japanese electronics industry.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

I presently drive a second hand Honda Odyssey which I've been driving for about two years. Luckily I havent had an accident that would make the air bag deploy. After reading about this Takata problem for over a month, I've been thinking about driving into a Honda dealer near my home for a response. I haven't heard of any recalls in Japan about this and I just wonder why. It may be that they just contact those who bought new cars. Anyway, when I drive into the dealer, I hope I don't get the " the bad air bags were not made in Japan excuse. It's no problem". Then what do I do?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Loyal Nissan and Honda man for decades and love my N-Box but I just wonder what would happen if there were an accident. They all need to come fully clean.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is sloppy reporting. I don't have the source on hand, but apparently Takata knew about this years ago. They went to wrecking yards and tested the airbags on various cars. Upon seeing the results for themselves, they chose not to disclose this information. Corporate coverups are alive & well in the automotive industry it seems...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What needs to be understood is that Japan, Japan Inc, and the majority of Japanese really do not care. They just don't. They will work together to see that poor little Takata is portrayed as a victim of the evil foreign people who do not appreciate the fact that a Japanese company bravely offered their product internationally and the evil foreign people are so racist that they are victimizing a Japanese company. The evil foreign people are going to sue a Japanese company and that shows what the gaikoku care about. They just want to destroy a Japanese company.

Takata, Japan, Japan Inc, and the majority of Japanese will only see a Japanese company and not if the company is actually at fault for anything. All they care about is that Takata may be forced into bankruptcy because gaikoku people do not understand the uniqueness of Japanese air bags.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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