Nissan says to expand US regional recall for Takata air bags

TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co said on Friday it would expand an investigative recall in certain US regions to replace air bags made by Takata Corp, adding about 45,000 Sentras from the 2004-2006 model years that weren't included previously.

Japan's second-largest automaker has informed the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about its plans to replace passenger-side air bags of the affected Sentras, a spokesman said.

Bloomberg reported earlier the expansion followed a March 21 accident in which a woman was injured from shrapnel in her 2006 Sentra in Louisiana, which is one of the states covered in Nissan's regional recall.

Since 2008, about a dozen automakers have recalled nearly 25 million vehicles equipped with potentially deadly Takata-made air bag inflators, which can explode with too much force and shoot metal shards into occupants.