Honda Under Investigation For Not Reporting Deaths?

Honda, the Japanese car manufacturer is under investigation by the Federal safety regulators for not reporting deaths caused due to faulty airbags in vehicles.

The airbags, made by the Japanese company, Takata, has a risk of shooting shrapnel into the cabin when the airbag opens during an accident.

The Japanese airbag manufacturing company, Takata has said that the problem is the airbag's propellant, which can become unstable, causing the airbags to rupture.

The Japanese carmaker was warned about an airbag explosion in 2004 itself. There were similar cases in 2007 as well, but the company made its first recall only in 2008.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that the automaker's reporting failure was not just limited to the airbags made by Takata, but beyond it.

The agency ordered Honda to submit documents highlighting its reporting procedures, and to identify any deaths or injuries due to Takata airbags that the automaker failed to report under a safety law. Knowns as the Tread act, automakers are to report deaths that involve manufacturing defects.

The statement read: "NHTSA has received information from Honda indicating that Honda may have failed to meet its TREAD reporting obligations, including reporting other death or injury incidents."

Honda on its report said that the company will soon share details about its findings with the agency about the accidents. The Japanese company infact did share details, beyond what was required of the Tread Act.