FCA also recalled 4.3 million older-model vehicles in the US, mostly from the 2004 and 2005 model years.
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This time around, the recalls are including some passenger-side air bags that are fitted with the potentially faulty inflators, with the recalled vehicles being in the Gulf Coast region where humidity levels are often high.
More automakers are expected to issue recall notices in coming days.
Before Friday’s announcement, 28.8 million airbags had been recalled in 24 million vehicles.
Takata and KKR spokeswomen declined to comment on the report, which drove up shares in the company by its daily limit to trade 21 percent higher. As a result, owners of affected vehicles for which there are no immediately available replacement parts will be informed of the recall in an initial notification letter in July 2016.
The scandal-stricken company said earlier this month it logged an annual net loss of $120 million, as it struggles with a massive recall crisis over exploding airbags tied to 13 deaths in the United States and Malaysia. It told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the second phase of the Takata expansion would include 660,000 U.S. vehicles.
Eight automakers, and 12 million vehicles are all part of what USA regulators are calling the largest recall in American history.
Some Takata air bag inflators have ruptured and sprayed metal fragments at passengers. The expanded recall could bring the total number of affected vehicles in Japan to 19.6 million – roughly the number of new vehicles sold domestically over four years.
Takata uses the chemical ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion that inflates the air bags in a crash.
Automakers will share only some of the necessary fix costs. In addition, Toyota will recall the Scion xB from the 2008 through 2011 model years.
SUBARU: Certain 2003-2004 Legacy and Outback, 2006 Saab 9-2x made by Subaru, and 2003-2006 Baja pickups.
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MITSUBISHI: Certain 2006-2007 Lancer and Lancer Evolution cars.
