Million cars added to Takata airbag recall by Australian regulator

Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi announced the recall at a press conference in the Beehive. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The number of cars recalled over potentially deadly Takata airbags has grown by more than a million.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has published a revised list adding about 1.1 million vehicles as it recalls the likes of Mercedes-Benz C Class, Ford Mondeo and Toyota Yaris.

It comes after the largest vehicle recall in New Zealand history in which about 50,000 vehicles were recalled because of airbag safety risks.

The Alpha-type Takata airbags, an older model of the airbags, could deploy unexpectedly, spraying passengers with shrapnel.

It is believed they could have caused about 180 injuries and 18 deaths worldwide.

A voluntary recall of vehicles with affected Takata airbags began in 2013 but Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi launched a compulsory recall in April this year.

Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi announced the recall at a press conference in the Beehive. Photo / Mark Mitchell

"I am not willing to compromise on the safety of New Zealanders," he had said at the time.

All Alpha-type airbags must be replaced by December 2019.

Australia issued a compulsory recall in late February, covering about four million vehicles - one in seven on its roads.

At the same time, Faafoi had ordered an urgent report into the issue, including into whether estimates of 180,000 affected vehicles in New Zealand were accurate.

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) said on Sunday it was working with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, Consumer New Zealand, the Automobile Association, the New Zealand Customs Service and the motor vehicle industry.

This was to ensure all vehicles in New Zealand fitted with Takata airbags under recall were identified so they could be replaced, a NZTA spokesperson said.