The latest recalls involving Takata air bags have been affecting millions of vehicles in the United States, however, some safety regulators have already indicated that regional recall campaigns issues over this issue are not enough to contain the problem.

According to a series of reports, the federal government has begun to demand automakers that have produced vehicles fitted with the potentially hazardous Takata air bags to issue nationwide recalls. The faulty air bag systems come with certain inflators that, once the air bags deploy, the metal parts may explode, leading to a possible personal injury risk associated with the metal parts being sent into the occupants in the vehicle.

Now, the federal agency is urging automakers to add millions of vehicles to the list of recalls in order to ensure consumers are safe.

Previously, only vehicles sold in regions of the country where the air bag system could be exposed to high humidity had been recalled. Under scrutiny for allowing automakers to simply issue regional recall campaigns, the federal agency decided to push companies to issue nationwide recalls.

So far, 8 million vehicles have been recalled in the United States over the Takata air bag issue. The problem that could lead to serious personal injury risks has also been associated with other 4 million cars outside of the United States.

The decision to push for an expansion of this recall comes after an accident in California where the inflator exploded. Unfortunately for the occupant, the explosion led to deadly consequences. In North Carolina, personal injury was also reported in an accident associated with the air bags. Both states have not been added to the regional lists of recalls, causing the NHTSA to promptly urge manufacturers to add the states to their recall campaigns.

Worldwide, at least 5 people were killed as a result of the air bag inflators exploding.

According to the air bag manufacturer Takata, the current nationwide recall should be expanded to encompass all states. The firm has also noted that it has expanded its investigation into the matter along with the National Highway Traffic Administration.

The company has also indicated that at least 1,000 driver and passenger air bag modules in vehicles that are not driven in humid regions have already been tested and none presented any inflator explosion risk.

Some of the firm’s greatest concerns related to a potential expansion of the air bag recall is the number of parts required to ensure all vehicles are fixed. According to the report, the limited number of available parts would make for a long wait, increasing the risks associated with the air bags since drivers would be exposed to further personal injury risks simply for not being able to have their vehicles fixed right away.

Honda has already issued recalls that impact vehicles in 13 states and other U.S. territories while other companies like BMW decided to go for nationwide bans.

If you’re concerned your vehicle may have been affected and you’re unaware of what to do next, contact your automaker to have any concerns addressed. You may also click here to read the full article.