Federal regulators have ordered Honda to turn over documentation and answer questions under oath, a special order that closely follows a probe into the faulty Takata air bags that have been related to four fatalities.
Of the 10 automakers who have issued recalls for the problematic air bags, only Honda has received a special order from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in connection with the issue, Reuters reported.
"We are compelling Honda to produce documents and answer questions under oath relevant to our ongoing investigation into defective air bags made by Takata," David Friedman, NHTSA deputy administrator, said in a statement quoted by the Detroit Free Press. "We expect Honda's full cooperation as we work to keep the American public safe."
The automaker has until Dec. 15 to comply with the 15-page special order, which also involves producing all internal communications about the seven recall campaigns connected with Takata air bags.
"Honda has had regular communications with the NHTSA regarding the issues addressed in the special order, and we will continue to cooperate," the company said in an email statement quoted by Reuters.
Tokyo-based supplier Takata, which reportedly didn't properly store materials used in the air bag inflators, received a similar order last Thursday. The company has a Dec. 1 deadline to answer around three dozen questions related to the problem.
The faulty air bags can explode in the event of a crash, showering the car's occupants with shrapnel.
Since 2008, Honda has recalled almost 7.6 million cars in the U.S. due to the faulty air bags and more than 9.5 million vehicles worldwide. The 10 affected automakers have recalled more than 17 million vehicles globally for the issue, which has been linked to at least four deaths as well as major injuries.
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