Honda announced Tuesday it would expand its recalls of cars fitted with faulty Takata airbags worldwide, covering a total of 13 million vehicles.

The auto maker explained it would widen its "investigative recall" to the entire world to determine what was wrong with airbags made by its crucial supplier.

"If the same problem exists, we want to respond in the same way everywhere," the Nikkei business newspaper quoted Honda President Takanobo Ito as saying.

No end in sight

Millions of cars produced by Honda, Toyota and General Motors have already been recalled due to the risk of Takata airbags deploying with excessive explosive power, spraying potentially fatal shrapnel.

Ito indicated Honda would be willing to step in, should Takata find itself in too much financial trouble.

"If Takata becomes unable to supply airbags, not just Honda, but all carmakers would be in trouble; so we'll ensure it can keep supplying," Ito commented.

Honda had earlier added 2.6 million cars in the US when it expanded a recall of driver-side airbag inflators in a measure previously limited to 11 states and territories with hot and humid climates and now covering the whole country.

hg/cjc (Reuters, AFP)