After noting the death of a Malaysian driver due to one a faulty airbags in a 2003 Honda City model, Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. has expanded its already in effect recall.

According to The Malaysian Insider, the airbag in question -- which was manufactured at a now-closed plant in Georgia that had not previously been identified by Honda or the airbag manufacturer Takata Corp. -- ruptured, sending out deadly shrapnel which struck the unnamed woman driver.

Although Honda, citing a Malaysian police report, has stated it was unsure whether the woman was killed by the air bag explosion or another cause, it will nevertheless continue a recall that will cover Europe and the Asia-Pacific region (but not affect the United States).

Honda, which has already had nine recalls over the same airbag defect, has announced the recall of 70,979 more vehicles: 22,607 of its Fit Aria subcompact and 48,190 of its That's model.

Misato Fukushima, a spokeswoman for the automaker, acknowledges that the death is thought to have resulted from the suspect airbag.

Shigehisa Takada, CEO of Takata Corp., has apologized for the problem with the airbags, saying that his company is determined to prevent further problems.

“We are cooperating fully with the recall and devoting ourselves as a company to strengthening our quality control,” Takada said in a written statement according to The New York Times, adding that the company will do all “to regain trust.”

Across the globe there have been approximately 12 million vehicles recalled by automakers due to airbag problems. As a result, Takata Corp. has recently been getting a lot of the bad press. Takata airbags have been linked to at least four deaths in the United States, all cases involving Hondas.

Just last month, a Florida woman named Hien Tran died of Takata airbag injuries that detectives first thought were stab wounds.

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