Proposed Takata Airbag Settlement to Cost Nissan $97.7 Million

Under a proposed settlement filed in federal court on Tuesday, Nissan would have to pay $97.7 million to owners affected by the Takata airbag recall. Toyota, BMW, Mazda, and Subaru reached similar settlements in May.

The settlement amount includes the cost of compensating owners for any expenses incurred while getting their vehicles repaired and for an outreach program that ensures all 4.4 million affected Nissans have the faulty Takata airbags removed.

Takata airbag inflators can discharge metal shrapnel throughout the cabin of affected vehicles and have been blamed for at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries worldwide. This has triggered the largest automotive recall in U.S. history with the company claiming that as many as 40 million airbag inflators are defective. The recall affects 17 automakers worldwide.

In January, we reported that Takata would pay $1 billion in a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department as three executives were indicted for the scandal. In May, Takata's airbag recall expanded to 12 million vehicles and eight automakers in the U.S. alone. In June, Takata filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. and Japan and sold its assets to Michigan-based Key Safety Systems. Blame does not solely rest on Takata, as automakers have reportedly known about the airbag risks since the late '90s.

Source: The Detroit News