Millions of vehicles could face recall due to faulty seat belts using parts provided by Takata, the same Japanese supplier responsible for the recall of tens of millions of vehicles due to defective air bag inflators blamed for hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths.
Japanese regulators have begun their own probe and have reportedly advised automakers to prepare for recalls. If the safety of the belts cannot be verified, the impact could be substantial. Takata provided webbing for as much as 40 percent of Japanese auto production and 30 percent of the vehicles produced worldwide.