Takata fined $14,000 per day for ‘failing to cooperate’ with airbag safety investigation

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced a $14,000 per day fine against airbag manufacturer Takata for “failing to fully cooperate” with the ongoing investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into the company’s defective airbags. Late in 2014 NHTSA issued two Special Orders to Takata requiring the company to provide documentation and other material relating to the agency’s investigation.

“Safety is a shared responsibility and Takata’s failure to fully cooperate with our investigation is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Secretary Foxx. “For each day that Takata fails to fully cooperate with our demands, we will hit them with another fine. But, it’s not enough. I am asking Congress to pass the GROW AMERICA Act which would provide the tools and resources needed to change the culture of safety for bad actors like Takata.”

To date, Takata has not fully cooperated with the investigation, according to the NHTSA.

The GROW AMERICA Act includes provisions that would require rental car agencies to remedy any safety defects under recall before renting a vehicle and require used car dealers to do the same before selling a vehicle. Under current law, new cars must be fixed before sale. Rental car agencies or used car dealers have no similar federal provision.

“Every vehicle under an open safety recall should be repaired as soon as possible,” said Secretary Foxx. “Requiring rental car agencies and used car dealers to fix defective vehicles before renting is a common-sense solution that would make our roads safer. Safety advocates and the rental car industry have taken a stand for safety, and we need Congress to do so as well.”

If you’re concerned that the vehicle you plan to rent, lease or buy has an open recall that needs to be addressed, you can check on the make and model by using NHTSA’s free VIN look-up tool on safercar.gov. On that website, uncompleted recalls are identified by entering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). NHTSA’s Safercar mobile app, available for both Apple devices and Android devices, provides users free access to key safety information, including recalls and safety performance.