Takata's airbag crisis doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon, as eight major automakers announced Friday that they are recalling 12 million more U.S. vehicles in order to replace potentially faulty inflators.
The issue stems from the possibility that the airbags will explode in the event of a crash due to their use of the chemical ammonium nitrate, which can deteriorate over time when exposed to high heat and humidity and burn faster than it's supposed to. The problem has been linked to 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries around the world, with two additional deaths in Malaysia currently being investigated.
Friday's recalls involve Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Fiat Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Nissan and Ferrari, and they focus on airbags in older models located in areas along the Gulf Coast with high heat and humidity. However, some of the vehicles affected by the recall are from other areas of the U.S.
The moves are only the latest batch of recalls related to Takata's faulty airbags, as the issue has so far resulted in the recall of up to 40 million airbags systems worldwide.
The total number of recalled vehicles in the U.S. due to faulty Takata airbags is currently about 70 million. However, the U.S. wasn't the only country to announce recalls related to the problem on Friday, as Japan's transport ministry also recalled an additional 7 million airbag systems on the same day, which brings the total number of recalled vehicles in the country to 19.6 million. A transport ministry officials said on Friday that Japan must complete the recalls by the end of March 2019.
Honda, Takata's largest customer, took a major hit from the airbag issue, having to recall 4.5 million vehicles, some of which had already been recalled. Fiat Chrysler wasn't too far behind, having to recall 4.3 vehicles.
Friday's recalls also dealt a major financial blow to Takata, resulting in an eight percent drop in the company's shares, on top of strained relations with automakers and government investigations.
Shigehisa Takada, chairman and chief executive of Takata, said earlier this month that the company has agreed to help with the expanded recalls and work with U.S. regulators and automakers to create long-term solutions to the issue. Takada added that the airbag manufacturer will remain committed to safety restoring confidence with drivers.
Recalls related to Takata airbags are expected to increase over the coming months and years. In the meantime, U.S. officials will carry out its recalls in stages and focus mainly on states with hot and humid climates, where airbags are more likely to experience explosions.
