Takata air bag recalls to double in US

AP Source: Takata to declare 33.8M air bags defective; largest auto recall in US history

By Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer 50 minutes ago

A billboard advertisement of Takata Corp is pictured in Tokyo September 17, 2014. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

DETROIT (AP) — A person briefed on the matter says air bag maker Takata Corp. has agreed to declare 33.8 million of its inflator mechanisms defective, nearly doubling the number recalled in the U.S. so far.

The announcement will be made later Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which brokered the agreement. It will be the largest recall in agency history.

Many of Takata’s air bags can explode with too much force, sending shrapnel into passengers. The air bags are responsible for six deaths worldwide and more than 100 injuries.

The person didn’t want to be identified because details haven’t been formally announced.

Automakers have recalled 17 million vehicles in the U.S. and more than 36 million worldwide because of the problem. Those numbers will grow by millions.