From parachute straps to exploding airbags
1933 - Takezo Takada starts Takata, maker of lifelines for parachutes.
1960 - Takata starts making two-point seat belts.
1987 - Takata begins producing driver’s side airbag modules.
1989 - Takata TK Holdings unit set up in North Carolina.
Late 1990s - Takata starts developing airbags with ammonium nitrate-based propellant in the inflators.
Early 2000s - Some managers in the company become aware of inflator failures, including ruptures. Test report data was altered to hide this from car maker customers.
2003 - Takata learns of a rupture during airbag deployment in a vehicle in Switzerland. Does not report incident to US transport authorities.
2008 - Honda recalls 4 000 Accords and Civics globally over Takata inflators that can explode with excessive force, spewing shrapnel into passenger compartments.
Around 2009 - Senior Takata executives become aware of falsified test data being provided to at least one car maker. No disciplinary action taken at the time. 2010 - Honda expands recalls. 2013 - Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda,
BMW recall around 3.4 million vehicles globally.
May, 2014 - Takata tells US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ruptures appear to reflect longterm exposure to high humidity and processing issues.
June - Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda expand recalls, bringing total recall to 10.5 million vehicles. NHTSA opens probe. Takata says nothing to indicate inflator safety defects.
October - NHTSA expands US recall to 7.8 million vehicles.
November - New York Times reports Takata ordered technicians to destroy test results showing cracks in inflators. Democratic lawmakers call for criminal probe.
February, 2015 - NHTSA fines Takata $14 000 a day for not co-operating fully with agency probe.
May - NHTSA says Takata admits some inflators faulty. Some car makers expand recalls; Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Fuji Heavy Industries, General Motors join recalls, pushing global total over 31 million vehicles.
November - Takata agrees to halt new contracts for ammonium-nitrate inflators in the US, phases out manufacture and sale of such inflators without desiccant. Honda says Takata misrepresented, manipulated tests. Honda, Toyota and others say they will stop using Takata inflators.
February, 2016 - Takata names an outside steering committee to develop a comprehensive restructuring plan while it continues to supply recall inflators.
May - NHTSA recalls another 35 to 40 million inflators, on top of 29 million already recalled.
June - Takata chief executive Shigehisa Takada, grandson of founder, says he will resign after a “new management regime” is found.
July - Honda says initial audit finds Takata engaged in widespread manipulation of test results for Honda inflators.
January, 2017 - Takata pleads guilty to US criminal wrongdoing, agrees to pay $1 billion fine.
May - Takata posts a full-year net loss of ¥79.6 billion, its third straight annual loss, over rising inflator replacement costs.
June 26 - Takata files for bankruptcy protection in the US and Japan. Key Safety Systems named as financial sponsor. Takada says he and top management will resign when takeover complete, expected in early 2018.