Revealed: The car models affected by Takata airbag recall, the largest in automotive history

Takata airbags have now been linked to at least 18 deaths around the world and an estimated 180 injuries.

The recall is the largest in automotive history. It involves about 100 million vehicles worldwide, including 2.3 million in Australia.

It covers dozens of makes and models including Honda, Toyota, BMW, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Lexus, Jeep, Nissan, Chrysler and Dodge.

The product has been known to project fragments when a metal canister is blown apart.

Takata has since filed for bankruptcy protection in the US and Japan and said it would be bought by the US-based Key Safety Systems for $US1.6 billion.

Takata in early 2017 pleaded guilty to fraud and agreed to pay a $US1 billion penalty for concealing the deadly defect.

The company anticipates the recall will not be completed until the end of 2019.

A 58-year-old man was killed last week when his Honda CRV hit another car at an intersection in Cabramatta.

NSW Police said a small fragment struck the driver in the neck before he died at the scene.

Police Sergeant Mark Casey said at the time: "This type of crash, in normal circumstances, would not have caused this level of injury."

Professor Chris Rowley from Kellogg College at the University of Oxford said Takata was able to get away with the faulty products for a long period of time because Japanese corporations lack a whistleblowing culture.

"Japan in the 1990s with the post bubble crisis made redundancies in corporations and it sort of put out a sway of middle managers, the connector between the shop floor and senior executives," he said.

"Once they'd gone, how does the shop floor worker approach the senior executive? It is never going to happen."

Australians are encouraged to check if their car is affected by visiting the ACCC Takata airbag recall page and contacting their manufacturer.

What's wrong with the airbags?

When there is a crash, airbags inflate with the aid of canisters that contain explosive propellants.

Takata airbags use ammonium nitrate - a chemical found to degrade after long-term exposure to high temperatures and humidity.

Degraded ammonium nitrate can cause inflators to become dangerously pressurised and explode when airbags deploy, sending shrapnel flying.

Deaths linked to Takata airbags:

2009: One death in the US
2013: One death in the US
2014: One death in Malaysia, two in the US
2015: Four deaths in the US
2016: Three deaths in the US, four in Malaysia
2017: One death in Australia

Full list of the cars affected by the recall:

• BMW 5 Series E39, 3 Series E46, X5 E53, 2002-2005, 2016/15581

• BMW 5 series E39, 3 Series E46, X5 E53, 2017/15881

• Chrysler 300(LE/LX), 2005-2012, 2016/15516

• Chrysler 300C, 2005-2010, 2015/14742

• Dodge RAM, 2004-2010, 2016/15516

• Ferrari 458, California, FF, 2008-2011, 2016/15430

• Ford Mustang, 2006-2014, 2015/14924

• Honda Accord/CRV,2001-2002, 2009/10969

• Honda Civic, 2001, 2010/11785

• Honda Accord, 2001-2002, 2011/12633

• Honda Civic, CR-V, Jazz, 2001-2003, 2013/13549

• Honda Jazz, 2004, 2014/14438

• Honda Accord, CR-V, Civic, Jazz, 2003-2004, 2014/14498

• Honda Accord Euro, CR-V, Civic, Jazz, 2002-2009, 2015/14703

• Honda Jazz, CR-V, 2005-2007, 2015/14702

• Honda MDX, Accord, 2001-2006, 2015/14737

• Honda City, CR-V, Insight, Jazz, 2006-2012, 2015/14819

• Honda City, CR-V, Insight, Jazz, 2011-2014, 2016/15197

• Honda Civic, Legend, Jazz, 2006-2012, 2016/15198

• Honda Accord Euro, City, CR-V, Jazz, Insight, 2007-2011, 2016/15496

• Honda Legend, Odyssey, Accord, MDX, 2003-2011, 2016/15495

• Honda Civic, Accord, 2006-2011, 2016/15494

• Jeep Wrangler JK, 2007-2012, 2016/15516

• Lexus SC430, 2000-2003, 2013/13545

• Lexus IS 250, IS 250C, 350, IS F, 2005-2011, 2016/15425

• Lexus IS 250, IS 350, IS 250C, IS-F, LFA2011-2012, 2017/15846

• Mazda 2, B Series, BT-50, 2006-2011, 2016/15522

• Mazda 2, RX-8, 2003-2014, 2016/15521

• Mazda 6, 2002-2003, 2013/13570

• Mazda 6, RX-8, 2002-2004, 2014/14172

• Mazda 6, 2005-2007, 2015/14761

• Mazda 6, 2006-2009, 2015/14762

• Mazda 6, RX-8, B2500 ute/cab chassis, B2600 ute/cab chassis, BT-50, 2002-2011, 2015/14760

• Mitsubishi GA & GB i-MiEV, 2010-2011, 2017/15990

• Mitsubishi Lancer, 2003-2008, 2015/14936

• Mitsubishi ML & MN Triton, 2007-2014, 2016/15523

• Mitsubishi Pajero NS, NT, NW, NX, 2007-2016, 2016/15617

• Mitsubishi Pajero NS & NT, 2006-2009, 2017/15991

• Nissan N16 Pulsar, Y61 Patrol, 2001, 2010/11761

• Nissan N16 Pulsar, Y61 Patrol, 2017/15940

• Nissan N16 Pulsar, Y61 Patrol, D22 Navara, T30 X-Trail, 2000-2004, 2013/13542

• Nissan N16 Pulsar, D22 Navara, Y61 Patrol, T30 X-Trail, A33 maxima, 2001-2003, 2014/14182

• Nissan N16 Pulsar, D22 Navara, Y61 Patrol, T30 X-Trail, J31 maxima, 2003, 2015/14751

• Nissan N16 Pulsar, D22 Navara, Y61 Patrol, T30 X-Trail, J31 maxima, 2004-2007, 2015/14752

• Nissan D22 Navara, T30 X-Trail, J31 Maxima, 2007-2008, 2015/14821

• Nissan D22 Navara, Y61 Patrol, 2009-2012, 2016/15769

• Nissan D40 Navara, 2008-2014, 2016/15228

• Nissan Tiida, 2006-2012, 2016/15383

• Peformax Silverado, Sierra, Mustang, 2007-2008, 2015/14789

• Subaru Impreza, 2004-2007, 2015/14715

• Subaru Impreza, Forester, 2008-2009, 2016/15766

• Subaru Tribeca, Liberty, Outback, 2004-2009, 2016/15507

• Toyota Corolla, Avensis Verso, 2000-2004, 2013/13544

• Toyota Echo, Rav 4, 2002-2003, 2014/14456

• Toyota Echo, Rav 4, 2003-2005, 2015/14700

• Toyota Corolla, Avensis Verso, Yaris, 2003-2007, 2015/14701

• Toyota Avensis Verso, Yaris, 2007-2008, 2015/14794

• Toyota Corolla, Yaris, Avensis Verso, 2006-2011, 2016/15709

• Toyota Corolla, 2003-2005, 2017/15950

• Toyota Corolla, Yaris & Rukus, 2010-2012, 2017/16010

• Toyota Echo, Rav 4, 2002-2003, 2017/16014

The full list of cars afftected can also be fond here.

- with Reuters and AP.