In the midst of controversy involving faulty airbags that have been linked to a number of deaths, Honda announced Tuesday that it is dumping its longtime airbag supplier Takata, with none of Honda's new car models under development set to utilize the disgraced airbag manufacturer's products, according to The International Business Times.
Honda is also noted as one of Takata's biggest customers, as it holds a small stake in the airbag manufacturer's company. However, the automaker states that Takata's conduct as of late has fallen below standards, even alleging that Takata manipulated and misrepresented test data.
"Honda expects its suppliers to act with integrity at all times and we are deeply troubled by this apparent behavior by one of our suppliers," Honda said, CNN Money reported.
The announcement is the latest blow to Japanese auto parts manufacturer Takata, which is currently struggling to do damage control over controversies about its faulty airbags. The company's airbags have been found to explode when activated, firing out shards of metal to the vehicle's passengers.
The faulty airbags have been linked to eight fatalities so far, with seven in the U.S. and one in Malaysia.
Takata has been slapped with a massive $70 million fine by U.S. regulators over the issue. If the company is still unable to conform to safety measures in the future, Takata could be fined an additional $130 million fine.
Check out more news about Takata here.
