Honda Motor Co. added 4.5 million more vehicles globally to recalls involving Takata Corp. air bags Thursday, expanding preventative measures amid a growing toll of motorists injured or killed by the safety devices.
The recall involves 1.63 million vehicles including Fit small cars and CR-V crossovers in Japan, Teruhiko Tatebe, a Honda spokesman, said by phone Thursday. The automaker is still compiling details on models affected in other markets, he said.
The latest recall by Honda is the first under President Takahiro Hachigo, who replaced Takanobu Ito last month after a tenure plagued by quality missteps.
Honda has now called back about 24.5 million vehicles to replace Takata air bags. The expanding recall toll, which Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. widened last month, shows how carmakers are struggling to come to grips with the extent of Takata's problems.
Hachigo, 56, pledged this week to improve communication within Honda, downplayed sales targets and said the company had no plans to support Takata. The carmaker has a 1.2 percent ownership stake in the supplier.
Thursday's recall is an expansion of the 4.8 million Honda vehicles affected by a preventative recall on May 14, Takata said. The company's air bags can rupture during deployment, and spray metal and plastic at passengers.
Separately, Nissan on Wednesday disclosed the first injury related to Takata air bags in Japan.