Takata air bag death toll rises to 24 after US crash
A billboard advertisement of Takata Corp is pictured in Tokyo in this Sept. 17, 2014 file photo. (Reuters Photo)


Another driver has been killed by an exploding Takata air bag inflator, bringing the worldwide death toll to at least 24.

The latest death occurred three days after a crash on June 8, 2018, in the Phoenix suburb of Buckeye, Arizona, according to a statement released Friday by Honda, which made the car involved in the crash.

The driver, who was not identified, was hit by shrapnel from the air bag when a 2002 Honda Civic crashed at an intersection at 8:33 p.m., a Honda spokesman said. The death occurred at a hospital on June 11, according to the company.

More than 200 people also have been hurt by the inflators, which have caused the largest series of automotive recalls in U.S. history involving with as many as 70 million inflators to be recalled by the end of next year. About 100 million inflators are to be recalled worldwide.

"This is a critical reminder of the serious nature of the Takata airbag recall and serves as an important call to action," NHTSA said in a statement Friday. The agency urged owners to check for open recalls by keying in their 17-digit vehicle identification number into the NHTSA website.

Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate the bags. But it can deteriorate due to high temperatures and humidity and explode too forcefully, spewing metal shrapnel. The deaths and recalls forced Takata into bankruptcy with its assets purchased by a company owned by a Chinese investment firm.

The owner of the Honda in the crash purchased the Civic used less than three months before the death. But there is no federal requirement that used car sellers have the cars repaired or inform buyers of any unrepaired recall problems. Honda said it did not know the car had been sold until recently.

The Civic in the crash has been under recall since December of 2014 due to a faulty drivertarget="_blank"'>