And the bad news:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ll-poses-dilemma-for-u-s-backing-untested-fix
Takata Corp.’s record recall leaves U.S. regulators with a dilemma -- swap defective air bags with parts that may be no safer than the original ones, or shoulder automakers with replacing 34 million vehicles.
For now, Mark Rosekind, director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is favoring a fix over the junk yard. In outlining the arrangement covering models from 11 automakers, Rosekind said the long-term safety of the replacement air bags hasn’t been proven, so there’s no guarantee they won’t need to be repaired again.
“Right now, we know that the ones that are going in are safer,” Rosekind said in a briefing Tuesday. “The concern is, are they safe over the long term? That has yet to be determined. And just to be very direct, that does mean that some people might have to go back for a second if we find out that current remedies need to be enhanced, then yes, consumers might have to go back for a second time.” Takata Corp.’s record recall leaves U.S. regulators with a dilemma -- swap defective air bags with parts that may be no safer than the original ones, or shoulder automakers with replacing 34 million vehicles.
For now, Mark Rosekind, director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is favoring a fix over the junk yard. In outlining the arrangement covering models from 11 automakers, Rosekind said the long-term safety of the replacement air bags hasn’t been proven, so there’s no guarantee they won’t need to be repaired again.
“Right now, we know that the ones that are going in are safer,” Rosekind said in a briefing Tuesday. “The concern is, are they safe over the long term? That has yet to be determined. And just to be very direct, that does mean that some people might have to go back for a second if we find out that current remedies need to be enhanced, then yes, consumers might have to go back for a second time.”
Again the above isn't 100% accurate,
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/b...g-propellant-is-at-center-of-crisis.html?_r=0
Yet despite the fanfare, by 2001 Takata had switched to an alternative formula, ammonium nitrate, and started sending the airbags to automakers, including Honda.
That compound, according to experts, is highly sensitive to temperature changes and moisture, and it breaks down over time. And when it breaks down, it can combust violently, experts say.
“It shouldn’t be used in airbags,” said Paul Worsey, an expert in explosives engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. The compound, he said, is more suitable for large demolitions in mining and construction. “But it’s cheap, unbelievably cheap,” he added.
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
