Continental Automotive Systems has set in motion new recalls that could affect up to 5 million vehicles globally, the Associated Press reports.
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Already Honda, Fiat Chrysler, Volkswagen and Mercedes have issued recalls, and some unidentified Kia, Mazda and Volvo Truck vehicles are included.
Honda said the affected models include the CR-V crossover (2007-2011), the CR-Z coupe (2011-2015), the Fit (2009-2014), the Insight hybrid (2010-2014), the Ridgeline (2007-2014) and its fuel cell sedan, the Honda FCX Clarity (2010-2014).
In October, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz USA unit recalled 126,000 2008-MY 2009 C-Class and 2010 Mercedes Benz GLK-Class vehicles to address the issue.
Inflators like those in the newly recalled Honda vehicles have failed in ballistic testing, although no real-world incidents or injuries have been reported with this design. But it said it will be summer before it has the replacement airbags it needs to make the swap.
The company will notify owners by mail and replace the inflators for free with new ones made by manufacturers other than Takata. That leaves tens of millions of cars with potentially problematic inflators on the road that have not been fixed or, in some cases, have not even been recalled.
Of the five million vehicles potentially affected worldwide, less than two million are in the United States, according to a Continental spokeswoman, the Wall Street Journal reported. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.
The defect in these air bags is fatal for passengers, since they can rupture when deployed during an accident.
The Takata recall has typically focused on older vehicles, but today’s expansion includes many recent and current models.
Honda Motor (HMC) has added an additional 2.23 million late model USA vehicles to the growing list of recalls over Takata airbags that could explode from production defects. That will be followed by a second recall notice when replacement parts become available.
A fault has been found in computer components that control up to 5 million airbags in vehicles worldwide.
In the interim, if a vehicle included in this recall displays the SRS indicator warning, vehicle owners are advised to visit an authorized Honda dealer for a diagnostic check as soon as possible.
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All told, the problem with Takata airbag inflators will have forced Honda and its Acura luxury brand to recall 8.51 million vehicles, more than any other manufacturer.
