Over 400 injuries in the U.S. have been reported due to these faulty inflators, contributing to at least 36 deaths worldwide.

The Takata air bag crisis has resulted in the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, affecting at least 67 million inflators domestically and approximately 100 million globally.

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed the 28th death linked to the Takata airbag recall, which has been ongoing for over 15 years.

The latest fatal incident occurred in Alabama in 2018, involving a Honda Civic, and was recently verified as a result of a defective Takata airbag.

Honda reported that 20 of the 28 confirmed deaths in the U.S. and around 200 associated injuries were linked to driver’s front airbag inflators supplied by Takata.

Takata's airbag inflators use ammonium nitrate, which can deteriorate over time, leading to explosive failures that can injure occupants with shrapnel.

The NHTSA emphasizes the critical need for vehicle owners to replace recalled airbag inflators to prevent further fatalities.

Honda continues to urge owners of affected Honda and Acura vehicles to have their airbag systems repaired at authorized dealerships, as replacement parts are now available.

Honda has replaced or accounted for 95% of the recalled Takata inflators in its vehicles, but risks remain for those that remain unrepaired.

Affected vehicle owners can check for recalls online using vehicle identification or license plate numbers through the NHTSA's website or Honda and Acura's recall pages.

The scale of the recalls and the ensuing lawsuits contributed significantly to Takata's bankruptcy.

The malfunction of the airbags occurs due to inflators deteriorating from exposure to high heat and humidity, leading to potential explosions upon deployment.