Takata Airbag Recall: Automakers Recall 12 Million US Vehicles, 7 Million In Japan

According to documents filed with U.S. transport regulators, eight automakers said Friday they were recalling 12 million vehicles linked to the defective Takata Corp. airbags. Another 7 million vehicles with faulty airbags were being recalled in Japan.

In the U.S., Honda Motor Co. is recalling 4.5 million vehicles, Fiat Chrysler is calling back 4.3 million cars, Toyota Motor Corp. declared the recall of 1.65 million vehicles, and Mazda Motor Corp. is recalling about 730,000 vehicles, Reuters reported.

Also on Friday, Japan's transport ministry announced the recall of 7 million more vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators by March 2019, bringing the total recalls in the country to 19.6 million cars.

Excessive internal pressure in the defective airbags can cause metal inflators to burst, with shrapnel puncturing the airbag and causing injury or death. This has been linked to at least 13 deaths, 10 of which have occurred in the U.S. More than 100 injuries have been reported worldwide.

On May 16, the Japanese airbag manufacturer filed reports with U.S. auto safety regulators declaring nearly 14 million airbag inflators defective. The company announced Wednesday it had hired investment bank Lazard for financial restructuring to tackle the costs associated with the mass recalls.

A report in the Nikkei Asian Review Thursday said U.S. investment fund Kohlberg Kravis Roberts was considering buying a majority stake in the troubled company, sending Takata’s shares soaring on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. However, the shares were down 8.08 percent when the markets closed Friday.