DETROIT — Honda is going public in an effort to debunk claims by lawyers that it knew about the hazards of exploding Takata air bag inflators nearly two decades ago but covered them up.

The automaker issued a statement Friday that outlines its defense against claims that Honda should compensate car owners because the use of Takata air bags caused their vehicles to lose value.

The public escalation of Honda’s fight comes just three days before Takata Corp. is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the United States. The company’s inflators can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and hurling shrapnel into drivers and passengers.

The faulty inflators have killed at least 16 people worldwide and injured another 180. Many are suing Takata as well as Honda and other automakers over deaths and injuries, and for loss of value of their cars. The problem touched off the largest automotive recall in U.S. history involving 42 million vehicles and 69 million inflators.

Unlike other air bag makers, Takata uses the explosive chemical ammonium nitrate to inflate air bags, but it can deteriorate over time and burn too fast.