Originally Posted By: HangFire
Originally Posted By: BHopkins
Can you provide links to articles that provide evidence of this? I'm pretty positive this isn't correct.
When the inflator is over-pressurized from the defective generant, it bursts. The bursting inflator housing breaks apart into many pieces. This is where the metal debris comes from, resulting in injury and death.
There are no claims of foreign material in these inflators, except perhaps the moisture.
There are two issues. The metal cartridge containing the explosive would rupture:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news...ecall/index.htm
There has been plastic and metal shavings found in the airbags:
"A 2006 internal log of quality issues noted problems with inflators sold to Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T), Ford Motor Co (F.N), BMW AG (BMWG.DE), Honda Motor Co (7267.T), Daimler AG's (7267.T) Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T). The log listed problems including metal shavings and contamination, broken or missing clips, and deformed or misaligned parts. "
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-takata-inflators-exclusive-idUSKCN0VV0L6
I don't work for one of Takata's competitors. Until recently I had family working at Ford dealers (and have had, for, well, since there WERE Ford dealers), and at a previous job I worked in vehicle design with ex-Ford and ex-GM engineers.
Your quote of the Reuters article stopped one paragraph short. It goes on to say:
"Those problems eventually could allow moisture to contaminate the ammonium nitrate propellant, which in turn could lead to an inflator rupture, one of the former Takata managers told Reuters."
Again, the problem is moisture breaking down the generant. This leads to extreme internal pressures in the inflator, causing it to rupture. When the inflator ruptures, it breaks into pieces, sending metal parts tearing through the cushion and towards the occupant.
Every case that has been reported is related to this condition. It is all related to Takata deciding to use Ammonium Nitrate in their generant.
Your link to the Consumer Reports article didn't work. I searched all CR articles on the Takata issue and couldn't figure which one it was that you were referencing.