Takata Hid Test Results Showing Faulty Airbag: Report

Executives at Japanese auto-parts maker Takata Corp. deliberately hid internal testing that showed the company's airbags posed a danger to drivers, the New York Times reported Thursday, citing unnamed former employees. The tests were conducted in 2004 following the rupture of an airbag in Alabama that spewed debris at the driver, and those tests showed problems with the device, the report said. But the first recalls of the faulty airbags didn't occur until 2008 when Takata disclosed tests of the equipment in regulatory filings, the report said. Takata's airbags have since been blamed for four deaths and the recall of about 14 million vehicles made by 11 different auto companies. Shares of Takata opened higher Friday morning in Tokyo, but had swung to a 3.5% loss just ahead of the midday trading break.