Report: Takata could pay up to $1 billion to settle criminal investigation with US over exploding airbags

Thomson ReutersThe Takata logo.

Japan's Takata could be close to settlement with the US Department of Justice over its massive exploding-airbag recall.

The company is expected to pay up to $1 billion to resolve allegations of criminal wrongdoing in handling its faulty airbags, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

But the final figure could be in the high hundreds of millions of dollars, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

At least 184 people have been injured in the United States in incidents involving potentially deadly Takata air bags.

The airbags contain parts that can shatter on inflation, sending shards of metal into the passenger compartment.

Affected vehicles were built between 2002-2015, by 19 different manufacturers, according to Consumer Reports.

Worldwide, approximately 100 million vehicles have been recalled.