Takata Centre Huge Profit Despite Global Airbag Recall

The company has been at the centre of a huge global recall over faulty airbags it supplied to numerous car companies.

The airbags have been linked to six deaths in the US. 

Despite the recalls, the company saw higher sales in the US, India and South East Asia and maintains its profit forecast for the full year at 20bn yen.

The fault has led to 34 million cars being recalled in the US, the biggest vehicle safety recall in US history.

Globally, the number of vehicles affected is thought to be more than 50 million.

'Broad actions'

The faulty front and side airbags were found to inflate with excessive force, causing the bags to rupture and dangerous shrapnel to be thrown at the drivers, sometimes with fatal consequences.

Faults with the airbags were first detected in 2004 and the first US death linked to an airbag rupture occurred in 2009.

Addressing the safety concerns, Takata told the BBC that the company had taken "broad actions that go well beyond the scope of the safety risk suggested by the current science and testing data, and will continue to do everything we can to ensure uncompromised safety for our customers and the success of the recall efforts."

The firm said it had produced more than five million airbag replacement kits and expected to be producing 1 million kits per month by September.

Takata's airbags are used in vehicles made by 11 global manufacturers, including Honda, Toyota and Nissan.