Ford expands Takata air bag recall, now affects three million vehicles

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it will recall about 816,000 vehicles as it widened previous actions affecting models with Takata Corp <7312.T> air bags. The move brings the number of vehicles with Takata air bag inflators recalled around the world by Ford to 3 million, most of them in the United States and Canada. The fresh recall by Ford follows one on Monday by Honda Motor Co <7267.T> for about 1.3 million vehicles in the United States. That brought the total of U.S.-registered Honda vehicles recalled for Takata issues to about 11.4 million. Globally, Honda has recalled 51 million Takata air bag inflators, and a smaller number of Honda brand and luxury Acura brand vehicles, because some of the models have been involved in more than one recall for the inflators. Many of the vehicles involved in the Ford and Honda recalls this week were included in previous recalls for slightly different reasons, such as the location of the air bags. The recalls this week were both for passenger-side front air bags. Honda also recalled about 900 Gold Wing motorcycles for Takata air bag issues in the United States, bringing the total of U.S.-registered Gold Wing motorcycles recalled to about 3,600. There have been 11 reported deaths in the United States due to defective Takata air bags, ten of which involved Honda vehicles and one a Ford vehicle. All 11 deaths involved driver-side air bags. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Bernadette Baum)