"Waiting even for a day could be the difference between life and death," she says in the video. Takata uses ammonium nitrate in its inflators to create a small explosion and fill up the air bags quickly. But the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to humidity and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel. The problem forced Takata of Japan into bankruptcy protection and caused the largest automotive recall in U.S. history with 42 million vehicles and up to 69 million inflators being called back for repairs.