Honda Expands Takata Air Bag Recall by up to 1 Million

Honda has expanded its recall related to defective Takata air bags by between 500,000 and 1 million vehicles, affecting cars in California, USA TODAY reported.

The latest recall could bring Honda's total repair count for the explosive air bags to 3 million. The problematic air bags have affected eight automakers altogether, including Nissan and Mazda. The recall now affects California in addition to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Last April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration described the risk by saying, "The inflater could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants," according to The Wall Street Journal.

Passenger-side air bags will have to be replaced in certain 2003-'05 Honda Accords, Civics, CR-Vs, Elements, Pilots, Acura MDX and 2005 Acura RLs and 2003-'04 Honda Odysseys. 

For another recall that will replace the driver's front air bag, affected vehicles include 2001-'07 Accords with four-cylinder engines; 2001-'02 Accords with V-6 engines; 2001-'05 Civics; 2002-'06 CR-Vs; 2003-'11 Elements; 2002-'04 Odysseys; 2003-'07 Pilots; 2006 Ridgelines; 2003-'06  Acura MDXs and 2002-'03 Acura TLs and CLs. The vehicles included in this recall are in the same states, now including California.

Takata hasn't disclosed how much the recalls will cost the company. 

The faulty air bag inflators have been connected with six injuries as well as two deaths that were linked to Honda vehicles in 2009, USA TODAY earlier reported. The NHTSA recently opened a probe into the growing problems with the faulty inflators, which are believed to contain propellant that was improperly stored and exposed to moisture.