Honda Motor Co. is recalling a further 147,894 vehicles in Malaysia over potentially defective air bags made by Takata Corp. that have been linked to the deaths of more than a dozen people worldwide.

Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. said in a statement Thursday that owners of eight models — the Accord, City, Civic, CR-V, Freed, Insight, Jazz and Odyssey — made between 2003 and 2011 must get their front passenger air bag inflators replaced.

"Honda Malaysia reiterates that all of its current selling models are not affected and will continue to uphold transparency and stringent control to ensure customer safety," it said.

The latest recall pushed the total number of affected vehicles in the country to 329,059 since the scandal blew up last year, according to a Honda spokesman. However, only 28 percent of owners have responded.

The company has sent personal letters to car owners, put up advertisements and worked through the media to create awareness.

Honda Malaysia has noted three fatal accidents in the country that it suspects could be caused by defective air bags made by Tokyo-based Takata, one of the world's largest manufacturers of automobile safety devices.

The air bags, which could explode and send metal pieces flying at great force, have forced at least 14 automakers to recall tens of millions of cars worldwide, especially in the United States where 10 deaths and as many as 139 injuries have been recorded since 2009.