Takata boosts production plans for replacement air bag inflators

May 20, 2015 2:51 PM

DETROIT, May 20 (Reuters) - Takata Corp said on Wednesday it has boosted plans for production of replacement air bag inflators needed for recalled cars in which the potentially deadly part could spray occupants with metal shards.

A spokesman for the Japanese air bag maker said the supplier will boost output to 1 million inflators a month by September, an increase of 100,000 parts from the previous forecast and up from the current level of 500,000. He did not specify if all the additional production would be added at Takata's inflator plant in Monclova, Mexico.

Takata said in February it would double production to 900,000 inflator kits by September from 450,000 parts at the time. The Takata spokesman said the company had just passed 3.8 million replacement kits made in total.

On Tuesday, Takata doubled its recall of the defective air bags to nearly 34 million vehicles, making it the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. Six deaths, all in Honda Motor Co Ltd cars, have been linked to the issue, in which moisture has damaged the inflator propellant, causing it to explode with too much force. (Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Matthew Lewis)