New Takata air bag recall to cover 5 mn US vehicles
US regulators on Friday announced a new recall of about 5 million vehicles with potentially defective Takata Corp air bags, covering some automakers not previously affected by one of the biggest auto safety recalls in US history, Reuters reported.
The new action brings to 28 million the number of Takata air bag inflators recalled and increases the number of vehicles affected in the United States to as many as 24 million, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.
Friday's move was prompted in part by the death of the driver of a Ford Motor Co Ranger pickup truck last month, as well as new tests conducted on suspected faulty air bags.
Automakers affected for the first time include Volkswagen AG utomakers affected for the first time include Volkswagen AG and its Audi unit, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz unit and Saab. Other automakers taking part in the recall announced Friday include Ford, Honda Motor Co MazdaBSE 6.21 % Motor Corp and BMW AG.
"This is a massive safety crisis," NHTSA spokesman Gordon Trowbridge told reporters.