Japanese govt puts pressure on air-bag supplier Takata

Tokyo

JAPAN has stepped up pressure on air-bag supplier Takata over safety problems that have been linked to at least five deaths outside the country.

In a break from Japanese regulators' standard practice in dealing with vehicle defects, the Transport Ministry said it had directly ordered Takata to carry out a thorough investigation and to provide the government with more information. The ministry normally deals directly with carmakers, not their suppliers.