Takata Corp., the Japanese maker of faulty airbags causing millions of recalled vehicles this year, forecast a record annual loss on the callbacks.The net loss will probably be 24 billion yen ($235 million), the company said today in a statement. That compares with its previous forecast for 16 billion yen profit. It booked a 45 billion yen one-time charge in the first fiscal quarter on the recalls.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Takata are investigating whether high humidity played a role in airbag ruptures reported mostly in Florida, Puerto Rico and other jurisdictions with above-average moisture. Airbag ruptures were among the faults with Takata products that caused carmakers to call back 6.47 million units globally this year, based on estimates in a July 8 report by Shintaro Niimura, an analyst at Nomura Holdings Inc.
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