Takata Corp. President Shigehisa Takada told shareholders that he believes the air-bag parts it is producing to replace the millions involved in the biggest vehicle recall in U.S. history are safe.

The company will continue to work to resolve the air bag issue, Takada said Thursday at the annual general shareholders meeting in Tokyo, according to an e-mail from the company. He will hold a press briefing later Thursday.

Defective air bags that can deploy abnormally and shoot shrapnel at vehicle occupants have killed at least eight people, all in Honda cars, and injured more than 100. Takata, carmakers and regulators are still investigating the root cause behind the air bags inflating with too much force and shattering metal and plastic parts.

Shigehisa Takada, 49, and his mother, Akiko, own about 5 percent of the Tokyo-based company’s shares. Another 52 percent is owned by TKJ KK, an investment firm that lists the family as board members.

Takata has fallen 38 percent in Tokyo trading in the last 12 months, while Japan’s benchmark Topix index gained 33 percent.

Former President Stefan Stocker will step down from the board when his term ends this month. Stocker, a Swiss national who began his career at Robert Bosch GmbH in June 1982, joined Takata as an executive officer in February 2013.

NHTSA has lowered its estimate of how many Takata air-bag inflators need replacing to 32 million from 34 million, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. He said the agency is still trying to get a firm count.