Automobile maker Honda has recalled additional 4.89 million vehicles over safety crisis brought on by faulty airbags made by its Japanese supplier Takata.
The latest recall includes those in Japan and other countries. The cars sold in the US have been kept out of its purview as the airbags of the kind were not supplied with them in that country, Honda spokeswoman Yuka Abe told the Wall Street Journal.
The decision was taken after putting airbag components to test following results of "confirmed irregular internal pressure" in some inflators.
With this, Honda follows suit with its rivals Nissan Motor and Toyota Motor, which have initiated a similar action. At least six casualties and 100 injuries sustained out of an explosion that released metal fragments following violent deployment of airbags have been reported so far.
While Honda's announcement puts the recall count to around 19.6 million, Nissan and Toyota have decided to call back 1.56 million and five million, respectively.
The models being called include Civic, CRV, Accord and Fit manufactured between 2002 and 2008, totaling 1.67 million driver-side airbags and 3.22 million passenger-side bags installed in them.
Meanwhile, the US authorities have taken exception to the alleged delay Takata and its clients were making towards addressing the problem.
The agency, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is slapping Takata a fine worth $14,000 daily, while the latter has confirmed its cooperation.
Takata has refused to comment on leak tests conducted on inflators. Earlier it attributed the problems in its airbags to manufacturing flaws, not design.
Image: Honda Civic, one of the models being recalled by the company. Photo: coutesy of IFCAR.
