The number of vehicles recalled in Japan hit a record-high 18.99 million units in fiscal 2015, largely affected by a global crisis over Takata Corp.'s faulty air bag inflators, the government said Monday.
The figure for the year that ended March 31 nearly doubled from the previous record of 9.55 million for fiscal 2014, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said. It hit a record high for the third straight year.
Takata-related recalls totaled 9.55 million, compared with 2.20 million the previous year.
Since 2008, automakers have called back more than 50 million cars globally due to fears Takata inflators could explode with too much force, spraying metal fragments at passengers.
Nissan Motor Co. reported in November that a Takata air bag ruptured abnormally in a collision the previous month, injuring a passenger in its vehicle, in the first such case in Japan.
The finding led Nissan and other carmakers, including Toyota Motor Corp., to file additional recalls with the ministry.
In massive recalls other than those linked to Takata, Suzuki Motor Corp. reported recalls of 1.62 million minivehicles last month over problematic air conditioner compressors and 1.87 million in April last year due to faulty ignition switches.
More massive recalls have been reported as automakers have increasingly shared components in various types of vehicles, a ministry official said.