4.4 million vehicles added to Takata recall

DETROIT (AP)

Seven automakers are adding nearly 4.4 million vehicles in the U.S. to the massive Takata air bag inflator recall.

Documents detailing recalls by General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Daimler Vans, BMW, Jaguar-Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz were posted Thursday by the government.

Recalls from eight other companies were posted last Friday.

Thursday’s recalls are part of a massive expansion announced in May. Seventeen automakers are adding 35 million-to-40 million inflators to what already was the largest auto recall in U.S. history.

Of the recalls announced Thursday, General Motors had the largest total at 1.9 million, covering pickup trucks and large SUVs. The company said in a statement that would start the recall process in cooperation with the government, even though it doesn’t believe the trucks pose an unreasonable safety risk.

The latest round of recalls covers passenger air bags mainly in older models in states with high temperatures or humidity. Takata inflators can malfunction and spew shrapnel into drivers and passengers when exposed to humidity and repeated hot-and-cold cycles.

Thursday’s recalls bring the total number of vehicles recalled in this round to 16.4 million. The recalls are being phased in during the next three years.