Takata Airbags: A judicial investigation has been opened for endangering the lives of others

The courts are taking up the Takata airbag case . A judicial investigation was opened on April 16, notably for aggravated deception and endangering the lives of others, in the case of the Japanese manufacturer's defective airbags that caused deaths in France, the Paris prosecutor's office announced to AFP on Friday, June 20.

The investigating judges could also soon be seized of the three fatal accidents which occurred on December 28, 2021 in Martinique , on November 18, 2023 in the Hautes-Pyrénées and on June 11, 2025 in the Marne , which have given rise to investigations at the local level. "At this stage, the investigations into three fatal accidents have been relinquished to the public prosecutor's office of the JIRS (Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction) of Paris, which upon formal receipt of the procedures will be able to refer the cases to the investigating judges," the public prosecutor's office specified.

The judicial investigation was opened for "deceptive commercial practices, aggravated deception, failure to inform purchasers of a product of its non-conformity relating to a substantial quality, endangering the lives of others," the public prosecutor explained.

The prosecutor's office recalls that "following complaints filed with the Versailles prosecutor's office by the UFC-Que Choisir association and by several owners of Stellantis group vehicles equipped with Takata airbags, and then the Versailles prosecutor's office's withdrawal from the case, the Paris JIRS opened an investigation." It was then "proposed to other prosecutors to join their related proceedings to this one," he explained.

Other judicial investigations have been opened in other jurisdictions and other complaints have been filed in other jurisdictions, relating to airbags associated with other car manufacturers, the Paris prosecutor's office said.

Since 2014, this industrial scandal, which has caused a series of deaths, has shaken the automotive sector worldwide. In total, 18 people have been killed in France, including 16 overseas , because of these defective airbags. The latest victim, who was driving a Citroën C3, marked the first death in the northern half of the metropolis. In response, the French manufacturer called on Tuesday through a "stop drive" for the immediate immobilization of all C3 and DS3 vehicles in Europe still equipped with this type of dangerous equipment.

The flaw in these airbags lies in the leak-proof nature of a small ammonium nitrate cartridge that is supposed to inflate the cushion upon impact. However, this component can age poorly, especially in humid and hot areas, causing the airbag to explode too powerfully and uncontrollably during an accident.

Updated: 3:10 PM with more context