Toyota Motor Corp. reissued a recall for 1.6 million cars in Japan over Takata Corp. air bags, after a component that was deemed to be safe ended up injuring a passenger last month in a Nissan Motor Co. vehicle.
The Vitz compact car and 21 other models will be called back again after a previous recall prioritized the replacement of Takata air bag inflators based on whether dealers found air leaks, according to Masato Sahashi, a Japan transport ministry official. Toyota is redoing the recall after an inflator ruptured and injured a passenger in a Nissan X-Trail SUV last month in Japan even after an inspection found no air leak.
The Nissan incident and recall do-overs by Japan's two biggest carmakers deepen a crisis for Takata that already involves almost 100 injuries and 19 million vehicles recalled in the U.S. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this month ordered Takata to phase out a propellant used to inflate its air bags, citing a lack of confidence in its safety. Rupturing Takata air bag inflators have killed eight motorists in Honda Motor Co. cars.
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