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The number of vehicles caught up in the world's biggest recall over potentially deadly airbags has ballooned to more than 660,000 in Australia, after more cars were added to the list overnight.Despite the increase in numbers, car safety experts have warned motorists of affected vehicles not to disable the airbags in their cars, even if they are worried they may explode shrapnel when deployed in a crash -- because it may make the cars less safe and unroadworthy.Honda is recalling 18,210 Accords made from 2001 to 2006 and added 3030 MDX family SUVs made from 2003 to 2006 to the list of more than 20 popular makes and models.Meanwhile Chrysler has also increased the number of 300C sedans to be recalled locally, from 4500 to 5500.The executive director of the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce, Geoff Gwilym, told News Corp Australia motorists should not "attempt to disable, deactivate or remove airbags".Mr Gwilym said disabling an airbag is "more likely to contribute to the damage caused by an accident, in the same way that you are at greater risk if you do not wear a seatbelt"."Airbags should never be tampered with by motorists or unqualified people," said Mr Gwilym.Follow the advice of their relevant car company and return the vehicle to the dealer when the replacement part becomes available"Airbags are not a discretionary item of equipment and cannot be simply turned off and on again. The mechanism is technically sophisticated and forms an important part of the vehicle's engineering."If the airbags in a car were deliberately tampered with, the car would be deemed unroadworthy, he said, and any mechanic who carried out the work could be liable."In addition to the legal implications, a professional vehicle technician will not deactivate airbags as they are aware of the risks to the vehicle occupants," said Mr Gwilym."While the recent global airbag recall is a concern, we advise affected vehicle owners to follow the advice of their relevant car company and return the vehicle to the dealer when the replacement part becomes available."The VACC also warned that buyers considering the purchase of a used car should check to see if it subject to a vehicle recall notice by visiting recalls.gov.au.The majority of motorists have no option other to wait up to a year before the airbags are replaced — because the supplier at the centre of the crisis can't build them fast enough.It became the biggest recall in the world after Japanese manufacturer Takata — which supplies 20 per cent of the car industry's airbags — admitted in a US hearing this week the problem was more widespread than it had claimed for years.The faulty airbags, which can explode shrapnel if deployed in a crash, have so far claimed six lives overseas. No deaths or injuries have been reported in Australia.Authorities in the US and Australia have not ordered the recalled cars off the roadLegal experts say motorists have little choice but to endure the painstaking wait for the replacements, and they can't sue the car companies unless someone dies or is seriously injured from the defective airbags.The crisis has left drivers with the unenviable task of taking the risk and driving their cars or — if they can afford it — park their recalled car until new airbags become available.So far, authorities in the US and Australia have not ordered the recalled cars off the road.The odds of being killed are difficult to calculate. Not all of the airbags in the 53 million cars are defective.But internal testing by Takata over the past six months found 265 of 30,000 recalled airbags had ruptured — or less than 1 per cent.That may sound like good odds, until you realise it still leaves 530,000 cars around the world — and at least 6000 in Australia — with airbags that can kill.Chrysler 300C sedan 2005 to 2007BMW 3 Series 1997 to 2006Honda Jazz 2004 to 2009Honda Accord 2001 to 2006Honda Accord Euro 2004 to 2007Honda CR-V 2002 to 2008Honda Civic 2004 to 2005Honda MDX 2003 to 2006Lexus SC430 2001 to 2003Mercedes-Benz SL and SLK 2014Nissan N16 Pulsar 2000 to 2006Nissan D22 Navara 1997 to 2004Nissan Y61 Patrol 1997 to 2010Nissan T30 X-TRAIL 2001 to 2007Nissan A33 Maxima 1999 to 2003Subaru Impreza 2004 to 2007Toyota Echo 2003 to 2005Toyota RAV4 2003 to 2005Toyota Corolla 2003 to 2007Toyota Yaris 2005 to 2007Toyota Avensis 2003 to 2007

The number of Australian cars affected in the world’s biggest recall is now more than 637,000 and climbing.The majority of motorists have no option other to wait up to a year before the airbags are replaced -- because the supplier at the centre of the crisis can’t build them fast enough.It became the biggest recall in the world after Japanese manufacturer Takata -- which supplies 20 per cent of the car industry’s airbags -- admitted in a US hearing this week the problem was more widespread than it had claimed for years.The faulty airbags, which can explode shrapnel if deployed in a crash, have so far claimed six lives overseas. No deaths or injuries have been reported in Australia.Legal experts say motorists have little choice but to endure the painstaking wait for the replacements, and they can’t sue the car companies unless someone dies or is seriously injured from the defective airbags.The crisis has left drivers with the unenviable task of taking the risk and driving their cars or -- if they can afford it -- park their recalled car until new airbags become available.The faulty airbags have so far claimed six lives overseas.So far, authorities in the US and Australia have not ordered the recalled cars off the road.The odds of being killed are difficult to calculate. Not all of the airbags in the 53 million cars are defective.But internal testing by Takata over the past six months found 265 of 30,000 recalled airbags had ruptured -- or less than 1 per cent.That may sound like good odds, until you realise it still leaves 530,000 cars around the world -- and at least 6000 in Australia -- with airbags that can kill. At first it was thought only airbags fitted to vehicles with long term exposure to humidity were most at risk.But this week Takata doubled the number of airbags recalled after determining humidity may not have been the only contributing factor.In the faulty airbags, the propellant in the inflator deteriorates over time, making it more volatile and prone to explode with too much force when deployed in a crash.In Australia, perhaps because there have been no known airbag-related deaths locally, it seems not everyone is in a panic to get their car fixed.Then again, the majority of owners of affected cars don’t have a choice but to wait.Retired couple Mark and Delwyn Bridgeman waited a year before they took their 2002 Honda CR-V to get fixed.“Honda contacted me about a year ago to say there was going to be a recall, and then in January they said I could bring the car in,” said Mr Bridgeman, who bought his CR-V new 12 years ago.“When I heard the extra recalls on the radio the other day I thought I better get in quick. I got mine fixed yesterday.”Honda only needed to replace the passenger airbag in this instance. Was his wife Delwyn worried that she was sitting in front of a potentially deadly airbag in her husband’s car?“He’s a very safe driver,” said Mrs Bridgeman. “After 60 years of driving, how many accidents have we had?” Presumably the rhetorical question meant they had none.Young couple Kelly and Gene White and their three-year-old boy use their 2006 Toyota Corolla hatchback as a family car.“It’s a little bit worrying that if we have an accident we could have shrapnel flying at us,” said Mrs White. “We want to get it fixed as fast as possible, so it’s distressing to have to wait so long.”Young mum Farah didn’t know about the airbag recall until News Corp Australia approached her in a shopping centre car park. With her 17-month-old boy secured in a baby capsule in the back seat of the 2002 Honda CR-V handed down to her from her parents, Farah told us: “Now that I know about (the recall) I’m a bit nervous to be honest. I try to drive carefully, but what if a crash happens, even if it’s not your fault? There is still a risk the airbags could go off. How do you know yours isn’t one of the deadly ones?”P-plate driver Emmalene Royce has a 2005 Toyota Echo that was originally her grandmother’s car. She learned to drive in it and the car has been in the family since new.“I won’t sell the car because I have an emotional attachment to it,” she said. “I definitely want to get it fixed but I don’t have a choice but to drive this car while I wait for the new airbags. I can’t afford to buy another car.”Josh Simons, a partner from Thomson Geer, a competition and consumer law firm, says there may be little action motorists can take now that the car companies involved have issued recalls.“Consumers now have an obligation to take reasonable steps to protect themselves, but car companies are not off the hook,” said Mr Simons.“They must fix the product, and they may still be liable if a death or serious injury does occur as a result of a faulty airbag.”Even then, however, car makers may not be entirely to blame should the worst happen.Given that the Federal Government must be notified of all recalls, Mr Simons says “it is up to the relevant minister to decide if the recall action taken is reasonable”. As the car industry is grappling with the biggest recall it has ever faced, some customers are demanding replacement vehicles until the new airbags arrive.“If the car has a major defect, you’re entitled to a replacement or a refund -- at the customer’s choice -- depending how old the cars is,” said Mr Simons.“If a customer wants a replacement or a refund it has to be a reasonable period of time from the date the car was purchased new.”However, the definition of a “reasonable period of time” is open to interpretation and depends on the circumstances of the particular goods involved, says Simons.“If you bought a used car from a business, potentially you have rights (to a replacement or refund) against the business you bought the car from,” said Mr Simons.“If you bought a used car privately, you have no recourse against the person who sold you the car, but you may still have rights against the car manufacturer.”When News Corp Australia contacted the brands affected by the airbag recall, most did not know how many cars had already been repaired, or exactly when they would be fixed.“Replacement parts are presently being prepared and, due to the number of vehicles impacted globally, it is anticipated that sufficient parts will be available to commence recall repairs by early next year,” said Toyota Australia’s media statement.The tally for Toyota's airbag recall cars in Australia now eclipses 207,000, Honda totals more than 188,000, Nissan has 156,000 affected cars, utes and four-wheel-drives, and Mazda has called back 5100 vehicles.Of the 4500 Chrysler 300C sedans recalled, the company says 3400 will be fixed by the end of June after airfreighting parts.BMW has recalled 43,000 cars and says it has replacement airbags available, while Mercedes-Benz says it fixed 20 cars in Australia last year.Overnight on Friday, Subaru Australia announced a recall of 33,548 Impreza cars made between 2004 and 2007. That brings the number of cars recalled so far to more than 637,000, but that figure is expected to grow in the coming weeks once Takata provides each manufacturer with the new, broader range of affected airbags. What should you do? If you have a recalled car, expect a letter in the mail, even if you didn’t buy it new. The car industry uses NEVDIS (National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System) which is the database of Australian driver and vehicle information to contact owners of recalled cars. The industry code of conduct says three letters should be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle; the third and final letter is sent by registered post if the repair has not been made within six months. Should you disable the airbag in the meantime? Safety experts advise not to tamper with the airbag. How do I find out if my car is affected? Go to recalls.gov.au and click on the “cars” link and then click on your brand of car. If you’re unsure what make, model, and year your car is, all the information is on your car registration form. Still in doubt? Visit the service centre of a dealership and they can tell you if your car is affected. Or see our list below. Will the recall cost me anything? All recall work is free of charge. The repairs themselves take about 90 minutes but the dealership service centre may want your car for a day while dealing with the backlog. What about Holden and Ford? Although General Motors (Holden’s parent company) and Ford are affected in the US, both companies say cars sold in Australia are so far not caught up in the Takata airbag recall. Takata airbags: the recalled models so far Chrysler 300C sedan 2005 to 2007BMW 3 Series 1997 to 2006Honda Jazz 2004 to 2009Honda Accord Euro 2004 to 2007Honda CR-V 2002 to 2008Honda Civic 2004 to 2005Lexus SC430 2001 to 2003Mercedes-Benz SL and SLK 2014Nissan N16 Pulsar 2000 to 2006Nissan D22 Navara 1997 to 2004Nissan Y61 Patrol 1997 to 2010Nissan T30 X-TRAIL 2001 to 2007Nissan A33 Maxima 1999 to 2003Subaru Impreza 2004 to 2007Toyota Echo 2003 to 2005Toyota RAV4 2003 to 2005Toyota Corolla 2003 to 2007Toyota Yaris 2005 to 2007Toyota Avensis 2003 to 2007reca

Japanese company Takata, which manufactures 20 per cent of the car industry’s airbags, has finally admitted to a US hearing overnight that the number of faulty airbags is much greater than it originally forecast.The number of affected vehicles has now climbed to a staggering 53 million worldwide, including 34 million in the US alone.The car brands that are affected include Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.So far, at least 556,000 cars have been recalled in Australia to have their Takata airbags replaced, but that figure is set to rise following the developments in the US which has dramatically expanded the number of affected vehicles.At least six overseas deaths have so far been linked to the faulty airbags which can spray metal shards if the airbag detonator has been exposed to moisture due to a fault in the manufacturing process.Until now Takata had claimed there was no fault, or that the problems had been fixed in its manufacturing process.But as recently as November 2014, Takata was accused of destroying evidence of internal testing of potentially faulty airbags.The recall is so massive not all car companies have been able to calculate which models are affectedThe Takata turnaround comes as authorities in the US are now trying to remove airbags from cars in junkyards so that the potentially faulty airbags don't end up being fitted to another, roadworthy car.Despite the horrific consequences, US and Australian authorities have so far refused to ground the potentially affected cars.The recall is so massive not all car companies have been able to calculate which models are affected, and some have admitted the replacement airbags won't be fitted until next year, because they can't be built fast enough."Replacement parts are presently being prepared and, due to the number of vehicles impacted globally, it is anticipated that sufficient parts will be available to commence recall repairs by early next year," said Toyota's media statement.Toyota, the world's largest car maker, last week recalled a further 5 million cars globally, including 181,000 in Australia, bringing the number of locally-affected Takata airbag-equipped Toyotas to 207,000.Honda Australia has also expanded its recall to include 109,000 cars with potentially faulty passenger airbags and 22,000 cars with potentially faulty driver airbags. It brings the total number of Hondas recalled in Australia with Takata airbags to 188,000.Honda Australia says it has not been advised from Japan if the latest Takata developments will lead to a further increase in the number of vehicles recalled.Nissan Australia has now recalled a total of 156,000 cars equipped with Takata airbags, and also says it is yet to receive information on further recalls.US company Chrysler has recalled 4500 examples of its 300C sedan made in 2006 and 2007.The car industry will struggle to contact owners of the affected vehicles because most cars are no longer with the original buyersThe Takata airbag recalls are due to the potential that, depending on the vehicle, either the driver's or passenger's airbag inflators may be susceptible to moisture intrusion over time."If this happens, this could potentially make the inflator assembly prone to rupture during an accident, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant," said the Toyota media statement.To date, all of the car brands involved in the international recalls so there have been no incidents, injuries or deaths reported in Australia.However, adding to the recall drama, the car industry will struggle to contact owners of the affected vehicles because most cars are no longer with the original buyers, given that they are typically made between 2003 and 2007 and now on the used-car market.Motorists concerned they may be driving an affected car have been advised to search the recalls.gov.au website and check if their particular make and model is being recalled.However, since this article was published the recalls.gov.au website has been overwhelmed by web traffic and numerous users have reported that the site was unable to be opened. The full list of cars we know are affected are listed below. Even though it is part of General Motors, Holden says its Australian-delivered vehicles are not affected.Ford says it is yet to be notified of any recall action following the new, broader scope of the overseas Takata recall campaign.News Corp Australia was waiting on feedback from Mazda, BMW and Mercedes-Benz as this article was published, to find out how many -- if any -- cars are affected locally.Chrysler 300C sedan 2006 to 2007Honda Jazz 2004 to 2009Honda Accord Euro 2004 to 2007Honda CR-V 2002 to 2008Honda Civic 2004 to 2005Nissan N16 PulsarNissan D22 NavaraNissan Y61 PatrolNissan T30 X-TRAILNissan A33 MaximaToyota Echo 2003 to 2005Toyota RAV4 2003 to 2005Toyota Corolla 2003 to 2007Toyota Yaris 2005 to 2007Toyota Avensis 2003 to 2007

Graham Smith reviews the first-generation BMW 1 Series as a used buy.