Toyota recalls another 2.9 million vehicles over Takata airbags

The affected cars are in Japan, China, Oceania and other regions, including its Corolla Axio sedan and RAV4 SUV crossover due to potentially faulty airbag inflators.

Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru cars, Mitsubishi Motors and truck maker Hino also recalled a total of about 240,000 vehicles in Japan over inflators made by Takata Corp, which can explode after prolonged exposure to heat.

At least 16 deaths have been linked to exploding Takata inflators, mainly in the United States, which prompted the auto industry's biggest-ever global recall.

Global transport authorities consider Takata inflators containing the chemical compound ammonium nitrate to be unsafe if used without a drying agent, and have ordered all of the about 100 million on the market to be withdrawn.

The Japanese automakers said that the latest recalls were part of a wider recall of Takata inflators ordered by global transport authorities last year.

Vehicles sold in North America, Toyota's biggest market, were exempt from the latest recall, it added.

Takata is currently seeking a financial sponsor to help pay for the costs related to the recalls. Last month, it pleaded guilty to a U.S. felony charge as part of a $1 billion settlement over its faulty inflators.