Takata, 3 ex-workers charged with concealing faulty air bags

DETROIT (AP) — Takata Corp. and three former employees were charged by federal prosecutors with concealing deadly defects in automotive air bag inflators.

According to an indictment, as early as 2000 the trio of workers falsified and altered reports to hide from customers tests that showed the inflators could rupture or otherwise fail to meet specifications.

Multiple news outlets have reported that Takata will pay around a $1 billion penalty due to a scheme to deceive federal regulators and cover up the air bag problems.

Analysts expect the company's North American unit to seek bankruptcy protection.

Takata has been fined $70 million by U.S. safety regulators for delays in disclosing the inflator defect, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned that the company could face an additional $130 million penalty if it doesn't fulfill the terms of a consent order agreed to in November of 2015.