Things to Know: Takata air bag recall

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators are expanding a recall of Takata air bags, already the largest recall in U.S. history.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday that it's adding up to 40 million air bags to the ongoing recall of 28.8 million air bags made by Japanese supplier Takata Corp. Inflators inside the air bags can explode with too much force and spew shrapnel into the vehicle.

Three independent reports concluded that the chemical Takata uses to ignite its air bags — ammonium nitrate — can degrade after long-term exposure to environmental moisture and high temperatures.

Owners should input the car's vehicle identification number, or VIN, which can be found on the title or registration card, or on the driver's side dash or door jamb.

A. The government says vehicles younger than six years old aren't currently at risk of an air bag inflator rupture even if they're in a high humidity region of the country, because it takes time for the ammonium nitrate to degrade.

NHTSA chief Mark Rosekind said owners should contact their dealers about the progress of the recall and request a loaner car if they are concerned about their vehicle's safety.