Continental recalls 5m cars on air-bag control units

[TOKYO] Continental Automotive Systems Inc. said five million vehicles need to be recalled to fix their air-bag control units, adding to the challenges for an auto industry already struggling to replace millions of faulty air bags made by Takata Corp.

The supplier said the air bags' power-control units may corrode and interrupt electrical connections, causing the devices to either deploy inadvertently or fail to activate, according to filings to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continental has been aware of a defect as early as January 2008, it said in the filings.

The recalls will include 112,001 vehicles from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and 341,444 Accord sedans from Honda Motor Co, according to the carmakers' filings to NHTSA. Fiat Chrysler said it was aware of seven minor injuries possibly tied to the problem, but no accidents.

Honda said it received reports of two injuries linked to the flaw.

The recalls also include vehicles made by Volkswagen AG, Mazda Motor Corp, Kia Motors Corp, Volvo AB and Daimler AG.

Carmakers are grappling with another air-bag crisis sparked by Takata-made devices that explode with too much force and shoot shrapnel at occupants. Honda added another 2.2 million vehicles to fix the potentially lethal safety devices in an expanded recall.

BLOOMBERG