The Takata Recall Is Back: Another 1.4 Million Airbags Recalled

The Takata airbag recall has been one of the largest. And now, a new deadly defect has been discovered in some Takata airbags. The latest defect has led to at least one death.

This new malfunction is different than the defect that led to at least 24 deaths and hundreds of injuries worldwide.

Takata is adding an additional 1.4 million front driver inflators to recalls in the U.S., according to government documents posted Wednesday.

BMW is warning owners of some older 3-series cars to stop driving them. more than 116,000 BMW 3-Series cars from the 1999 to 2001 model years. About 8,000 definitely have faulty inflators and should be parked. The rest can still be driven.

In addition, certain Audi, Honda, Toyota and Mitsubishi vehicles made from 1995 to 2000 also are being recalled.

Toyota and Honda are still figuring out which models will have to be recalled. U.S. safety regulators said they were told by Mitsubishi that the only U.S. vehicle affected is the 1998 through 2000 Montero.

In a statement, Audi said it is investigating whether any 1997 to 1999 model year A4, A6, A8, or TT vehicles are affected.

Unlike previous recalls, the Takata non-azide inflators do not use volatile ammonium nitrate to fill the airbags but the airbag propellant can still deteriorate over time when exposed to moisture and explode too fast.

In total, nineteen automakers are recalling about 70 million inflators while the company is recalling about 100 million inflators worldwide.