Faulty airbags made by Japanese supplier Takata Corp. affect even more automakers, adding BMW, Chrysler and Ford to the list that already includes Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Toyota.
The U.S. government has issued warning that millions of cars are potentially equipped with faulty airbags that could explode, sending shards of metal shrapnel into the cabin.
The recall comes at the advice of Tokyo-based Takata after they learned of at least six incidents of ruptured airbags, causing injury to three people. Each of the incidents occurred in either Florida or Puerto Rico.
In order to issue an official safety recall the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration must have a clear cause for the explosions. U.S. safety regulators are investigating the situation, but are yet to determine a safety defect.
As of now, the recalls are limited to states and areas that have hot, humid weather for extended periods of time; in this case that includes Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.
BMW will recall an array of 2001-2006 3 Series models, including the sedan, coupe, sports wagon and convertible. It is not yet clear how many vehicles will be affected, but owners will be notified in August.
Ford is to recall the 2005-2007 Mustang and GT models, and the 2004 Ranger pickup truck for an expected total of 58,669 vehicles. The automaker is currently working on a schedule to notify the owners.
Chrysler is still determining which vehicles are affected by the recall, but we will update this story as soon as there is more news.
This recall will affect 1.1 million vehicles on top of the other 3 million reported earlier this week, which included Honda, Nissan and Mazda.
Speculation as to why the risk is especially high in hot, humid climates is still in its infancy. A Honda official suggests that the air pressure in these areas may cause build up and in turn an explosion on deployment.