DHAKA: The safety crisis plaguing the global automotive industry deepened as Japan’s three biggest carmakers said they would recall more than 11 million additional vehicles because of faulty air bags that can shoot shrapnel at motorists.

Honda Motor is expanding its recalls by 4.89 million vehicles, bringing the total called back by the company to about 19.6 million, it said Thursday in Tokyo, reports The Straits Times.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will recall about 5 million more cars after finding air-bag inflators in Japan that could be susceptible to abnormal deployment in a crash, and Nissan Motor Co. said it will call back 1.56 million.

The latest round increases the total tally to more than 28 million vehicles that 10 automakers have recalled since 2008 for faulty air bags made by Takata Corp.

Regulators in Japan and the US are investigating Takata air-bag inflators that can deploy with too much force, breaking up metal and plastic parts and hurling them at car occupants. At least six deaths have been linked to the flaw.

‘Automakers seem to be approaching the air-bag crisis with ad hoc recalls,’ said Takeshi Miyao, an analyst at Carnorama.

‘I expect there to be a lot more recalls going forward.’

BDST: 1810 HRS, MAY 14, 2015
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