Japan's Takata Corp has routinely manipulated results of airbag inflator tests reported to Honda Motor Co Ltd, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing an ongoing audit commissioned by both companies.
Takata engineers removed some test results to artificially reduce variability in airbag inflator performance, Bloomberg said.
The results of the audit will consider Honda's investigation into whether it should recall some additional Takata inflators, Bloomberg said.
The companies could not immediately be reached for comment.
The potentially deadly Takata airbags can explode with excessive force in hot, humid conditions, and have been linked to more than 100 injuries and 13 deaths, mainly in the United States.