DETROIT — Three automakers on Thursday widened recalls of cars and trucks with Takata airbags, and Congress set a hearing next week on the safety issue.þþThe recalls that the automakers — Fiat Chrysler, Honda and BMW — announced on Thursday are part of an action started last week by Takata that raised the number of vehicles affected to 53 million globally, including 34 million in the United States.þþTakata officials and safety regulators have said that airbag inflaters exposed to moisture over time can explode with too much force, shooting shrapnel into vehicles. Regulators have linked this to six deaths worldwide, all in Honda vehicles.þþAutomakers and regulators are still seeking to pinpoint the root of the problem, which means that even with replacement parts, consumers have no guarantee their vehicles are safe.þþþA component in Takata’s airbags can explode, sending pieces of metal flying into a vehicle’s cabin and injuring passengers.þ þFiat Chrysler expanded its recalls of vehicles with Takata airbags to about 5.22 million worldwide, involving the 2003 to 2011 model years. About 4.5 million of those vehicles are in the United States.þþIt said that it no longer made vehicles with Takata airbag inflaters and those in its recalls “are distinct from Takata inflaters cited in fatalities involving other automakers.”þþHonda widened its recall by 350,000 in the United States and 340,000 in Japan. Since 2008, Honda has recalled about 20 million vehicles worldwide with Takata airbag parts.þþBMW said it was widening United States recalls of models with Takata airbags to 420,661 vehicles, from 140,696þ
Source: NY Times
