United States prosecutors said on Friday that they had charged three executives at Takata, the Japanese auto parts maker, with fabricating test data to mask a fatal airbag defect, a striking turn in a case that set off the largest automotive recall in United States history.
Prosecutors also announced that Takata had agreed to plead guilty to charges of wire fraud for providing the false data, a rare outcome for businesses accused of wrongdoing. The company, based in Tokyo, was also fined $1 billion.
