http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/20/business/chrysler-yields-to-urging-on-takata-airbag-recall.html 2014-12-20 03:10:05 Chrysler Yields to Urging on Takata Airbag Recall BMW America, the sole remaining automaker to limit the recall to high-humidity areas, has said it is “evaluating the situation.” === Bowing to pressure from federal regulators, Safety regulators have been urging affected automakers and Takata to recall all cars that may be carrying airbags with faulty inflaters, which can rupture in an accident and send metal fragments into the vehicle. At least five deaths and dozens of injuries have been linked to the defect, and 11 automakers around the world have recalled nearly 20 million cars since 2008 to replace affected airbags. In the United States, Takata says that the evidence so far suggests that only cars in areas of high humidity are at risk, because moisture is thought to destabilize the explosives that help inflate the airbag. Automakers have for months limited their recalls to those regions. But that position quickly came under fire from safety experts, lawmakers and more recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which had first backed limiting the recalls. Honda Motor was the first to cede to demands for a wider recall. Mazda, Ford and now Chrysler have followed. BMW America, the sole remaining automaker to limit the recall to high-humidity areas, has said it is “evaluating the situation.” The safety agency continues to press Takata to concede that nationwide recalls are necessary. The agency’s deputy administrator, David J. Friedman, said recently that the agency was preparing to initiate a formal process, including potential litigation, to compel Takata to order the recall. But the Japanese supplier has resisted, saying that regulators do not have the authority to compel such an action. It also opened a public relations campaign, to be led by the firm Sard Verbinnen. Takata is also struggling to produce replacement parts for the widening recalls. It has promised to add more production lines and work with other producers to address shortages. Chrysler’s expanded recall covers certain models built from 2004 to 2007, including the In a statement, Takata said it supported Chrysler’s decision but gave no indication that it would itself call for a nationwide recall. “We respect Chrysler’s decision and we are committed to support any decisions our customers make,” the company said. Also on Friday, Chrysler said it would recall about 257,000 Dodge Ram pickup trucks in the United States because a loose nut may cause the rear axle to fail. The drive shaft in affected vehicles may also drop out of the vehicle, Chrysler said. Dealers will make fixes to strengthen the nut, starting in February. The recall affects Dodge Ram 1500 pickups built in 2004-5, according to Chrysler.