Senate panel schedules hearing on Takata probe

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday scheduled a June 23 hearing on the continuing investigation into Takata's recall of defective airbags linked to at least seven deaths and more than 100 injuries.

"The hearing will examine the role of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the Takata defective airbag recall investigation, Takata's remediation efforts, how car manufacturers are addressing defective Takata airbags, and ongoing oversight by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General," the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee said in a statement.

Under pressure from the NHTSA, the Japanese company last month deemed many of its products defective and agreed to double the number of air bag inflators being recalled.

The largest automotive recall in U.S. history covers driver and passenger air bags in cars and trucks made by 11 automakers.

The NHTSA is advising consumers to check their vehicle identification number, or VIN, weekly on the agency's lookup tool at Safercar.gov, which is being continually updated as the information becomes available.