Takata, the Japanese auto parts maker whose airbags led to the recall of more than 3 million vehicles last year, told Honda and other customers that the defective components might need to be fixed again.
The U.S. Transportation Department immediately opened an investigation that the agency said will focus on consumer complaints about ruptures in air-bag inflators used in cars made by Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and Chrysler. Takata shares fell 4.1% in Tokyo.
Regulators in the U.S. noted that carmakers have conducted an increasing number of recalls in recent years for rupturing airbags. In addition, General Motors faces federal inquiries for its recall of millions of cars with ignition switches that could disable airbags, and Toyota called back vehicles in April to replace spiral cables that might prevent driver-side airbags from deploying.
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