BMW recalls 110,000 cars in Japan due to faulty airbags

BMW have undergone the auto industry’s largest ever global recall in Japan on Friday due to faulty air bag inflators made by Takata Corp, according to a report by Reuters.

The German car company recalled 44 models including 116i and 118i hatchbacks and the 320i sedan to replace passenger-side air bags according to a filing to Japan’s transport ministry.

The defective airbags have been linked to at least 14 deaths and 150 injuries worldwide. The ammonium nitrate- based propellant used in its inflators has a tendency to explode following prolonged exposure to hot, humid conditions leading to metal shrapnel spraying.

The affected vehicles were made between 2004 and 2012.

In May, the Japanese transport ministry ordered automakers to recall an additional 7m vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators which do not contain a drying agent. The recalls are meant to be completed in phases by 2019.

The recall on Friday comes after an expanded recall by US authorities.

The firm’s share price was up 0.21% at 77.60p at 1149 BST on Friday.