The US Department of Transportation recently issued a directive that forces auto manufacturers not only to pace up the replacement of defective Takata air bags but also to speed up the acquisition of the replacement parts and prioritize fixing cars that are at most risk.

The federal agency said that the recall will ultimately cover 42 million cars in the United States alone, the biggest recall order in history. The recall also means the replacement of around 64 million to 69 million air bag inflators, according to Reuters.

Like Us on Facebook

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a list of deadlines based on the age a specific car. The NHTSA's list also prioritizes cars that are based in hot and humid climates.

In a statement acquired by USA Today, NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said, "NHTSA is doing everything possible to make sure that there are no more preventable injuries or deaths because of these dangerous air bag inflators."

The latest order from the Department of Transportation and the NHTSA comes at a time when Takata is facing a major financial crisis that could eventually led to the company filing for bankruptcy. On the other hand, the NHTSA said that Takata's financial crisis will not affect the overall efficiency of the recall since automakers are the ones tasked to replace the defected air bags.

The NHTSA said that the replacement of defective air bags should be completed by 2020. Car owners who are affected by the recall are advised to get free replacements as soon as it is available in order to prevent further accidents.

TagsTakata, Takata recall, airbag, airbag recall, takata news, takata airbag recall