TOKYO (AP) — Toyota, Honda and Nissan are recalling more than 3 million vehicles globally for an identical problem with air bags on the passenger side whose inflator may burst, sending plastic pieces flying.
No injuries have been reported related to the problem.
The recall for air bags made by Japan’s Takata Corp. affects other automakers including non-Japanese manufacturers, Takata spokeswoman Akiko Watanabe said Thursday. She declined to give details.
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 1.7 million vehicles, with some 580 000 in North America, another 490 000 in Europe and 320,000 in Japan. Affected models include the Corolla, Tundra, Lexus SC, produced between November 2000 and March 2004.
Toyota said it had received five reports of air bag problems, three in the U.S. and two in Japan, but there have been no injuries.
The automaker suffered a blow to its reputation from a series of massive recalls in 2009 and 2010, including faulty braking, sticky gas pedals and defective floor mats, partly a reflection of how various models used the same parts to save costs. But the latest recall is affecting other major automakers as well.
Honda Motor Co. is recalling 1.1 million vehicles. About 680 000 are in North America, 270 000 in Japan and 64 000 in Europe. The models include the Civic, CR-V and Odyssey.
The automakers have reported the problem to the Transport Ministry in Japan, and will be reporting other recalls later in the day in other regions, they said.
The recall extends to Latin America, China, other Asian nations, the Middle East and Africa.