Takata failed to report 2003 airbag rupture to NHTSA, documents show.

The Hill (9/26, Zanona, 651K) reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released an internal report from Takata Corp. that “shows that the manufacturer did not inform U.S. safety regulators about” an incident in Switzerland in 2003 during which a Takata airbag inflator ruptured. NHTSA has issued Takata a fine “for not immediately reporting a known airbag safety defect,” but some lawmakers are calling for larger enforcement action.

        Automotive News (9/26, Welch, 185K) reports the documents released Friday also show “that of 245,000 recalled airbag inflators pulled from cars and tested, 660 ruptured,” illustrating “the risk to consumers who do not bring their cars in to have repairs performed or own vehicles that are not old enough to be eligible for the current round of replacement.”

        Additional coverage is provided by New York Daily News (9/26, Campbell, 3.83M), Cars (9/26, 897K), Detroit (MI) Bureau (9/26), and CNET News (9/26, 642K).