 "Toyota adds 331,200 vehicles to Takata air bag recalls")
Toyota Motor said on Wednesday it is expanding by 331,200 cars worldwide its recall involving potentially defective Takata air bag parts.
Toyota earlier on Wednesday said the new recalls totalled 356,000 globally but later lowered the figure.
An estimated 29 million Takata air bag inflators have been recalled in the United States in more than 19 million vehicles because the inflators can activate with too much force, sending potentially deadly metal shards into the passenger compartment.
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All the vehicle Toyota added to the recalls are equipped with a Takata-made dual-stage front passenger air bag inflator.
Toyota said the new recalls increased the number of Toyota vehicles with Takata air bags worldwide to 15,314,000, including 3,156,000 in the United States.
US-registered vehicles account for 198,000 of the freshly recalled vehicles. The total in North America is 231,000 vehicles.
The new recall in the United States will include the 2008 Corolla and Corolla Matrix models as well as 2008 to 2010 model years Lexus SC 430 vehicles.
In Europe, 86,000 vehicles will be added to the existing recalls of Avensis and Lexus SC430 models. Model years were not available.
Added recalls in Japan number 3,000 and include Avensis and Lexus SC 430 models made from May 2007 to July 2010.
There will be another 220 vehicles recalled in Asia.
In other regions, Toyota is adding another 11,000 vehicles to the recalls, including Avensis, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Lexus SC 430 models.
Reuters has reported that U.S. auto safety regulators are examining whether an additional 70 million to 90 million Takata air bag inflators should be recalled.
