Takata air bags

Air bag maker Takata Corp.'s troubles worsened Monday as the company confirmed that a truck carrying its inflators and a volatile chemical exploded last week in a Texas border town, killing a woman and injuring four others.

Four automakers are selling new vehicles with Takata air bag inflators even though the devices are potentially defective and likely to be recalled within a few years, according to a Senate report.

Eight automakers are recalling more than 12 million vehicles in the U.S. to replace Takata air bag inflators that can explode with too much force.

Takata will recall another 35 million to 40 million air bag inflators, a stunning increase that will more than double what is already the largest automotive recall in American history, the federal government announced Wednesday.

About 85 million Takata air bag inflators that haven't been recalled are inside cars and trucks now being driven in the U.S. and would have to be replaced if the company can't prove they are safe, the government said Wednesday.

The nation's top auto safety regulator says an immediate recall of all Takata air bags wouldn't provide significant safety benefits and could exceed the government's legal authority.

Scientists hired by the auto industry have determined that multiple factors -- including moisture and high humidity -- can cause some Takata air bags to inflate with too much force and hurl shrapnel at drivers and passengers.

General Motors is recalling about 200,000 Saab and Saturn cars in the U.S. and Canada to replace the Takata driver's air bag inflators.

Volkswagen resisted U.S. government efforts to recall more cars and trucks to fix potentially deadly Takata air bags -- telling safety regulators that a recall isn't necessary.

Embattled air bag maker Takata Corp. lacks processes that would improve the quality of its products, including air bag inflators that have been blamed for at least 11 deaths and 139 injuries, an outside panel hired by the company has found.