BMW Recalls 110,000 Cars in Japan Due to Exploding Air Bags

BMW announced on Friday that it was recalling about 110,000 of its cars in Japan over potentially faulty air bag inflators made by Takata Corp Reuters reported.

Reuters said that the German luxury car automaker recalled 44 models including its 116i and 118i hatchbacks and the 320i sedan to replace passenger-side air bags made by the parts maker, according to a filing to Japan's transport ministry.

Affected vehicles with faulty air bag inflators were produced between 2004 and 2012.

Defective Takata air bags caused at least 14 deaths and 150 serious injuries across the world as the ammonium nitrate-based propellant used in its inflators has a tendency to explode when exposed to hot, and humid conditions, causing metal shrapnel to spray onto drivers and passengers.

BMW's car recall comes after Japan's transport ministry in May ordered automakers to recall an additional seven million vehicles in Japan equipped with Takata air bag inflators which do not contain a drying agent, in phases by 2019, following an expanded recall by U.S. authorities Reuters said.