Toyota promises to help find cause of Takata airbag defects

Toyota President Akio Toyoda vowed to help get to the bottom of the problems with Takata air bags, the recalls for which have ballooned to nearly 34 million vehicles, stressing that regaining consumer trust is an industry-wide concern.

Doubts are growing about whether Japanese supplier Takata Corp. has the financial muscle to deal with all the defects, a task that could take years. The ultimate size of its financial burden will remain unclear until the underlying cause of the problems is identified.

Toyoda was solemn when addressing Takata's woes. He pointed out Toyota Motor Corp. had gone through a similar public-relations disaster over massive recalls that began in 2009, and expanded to some 14 million vehicles worldwide, for problems including faulty floor mats, defective brakes and sticky gas pedals.

"Recalls are not just about technical problems. If there is a morsel of consumer doubt, then we have to deal with it," he told reporters on the sidelines of a reception Thursday for the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association.

"We must aggressively pursue recalls. Otherwise, we can't go forward," he said.

The air bag inflators being recalled can kick in with too much force, even without a crash, blow apart a metal canister and send shards flying. The defect has caused at least six deaths and more than 100 injuries worldwide.

Toyota has been working with the other automakers affected by the Takata defect, including Japanese rivals such as Honda Motor Co., the hardest hit, and foreign manufacturers such as BMW, Chrysler AG, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. to pinpoint the root of the air bag problem.

Toyota and nine other automakers hired Orbital ATK, an aerospace and defense technology company based in Dulles, Virgina, to conduct testing on Takata air bags.

Takata and US authorities, as well as some automakers on their own, are also carrying out tests.

Although exposure to moisture for extended periods appears to trigger the problem, the root cause is still unknown.

"It's like a sickness. You have to find out what's causing it if you hope to treat it and fix it," Toyoda said.

Analysts say too many factors remain unclear to properly assess the ability of Takata to hold up under the costs of such massive recalls, the biggest on record.