Mazda expanding Takata air bag recall to more than 370,000 cars

DETROIT -- Mazda is expanding a recall of passenger air bags because they can inflate with too much force and spew metal fragments into the vehicle.

The new recall covers 374,519 vehicles, including the 2003-2008 Mazda6, the 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 and a limited number of RX-8 sports cars from the 2004 model year.

Mazda is one of a dozen manufacturers recalling air bags made by Japanese supplier Takata Corp. The air bags' metal inflator can rupture and shoot fragments into the vehicle. Nine deaths worldwide have been blamed on the problem.

Mazda recalled some of the affected vehicles beginning in 2013. But the company says it decided to expand those recalls after getting new information from Takata last month.

Mazda is recalling driver's side air bags under separate recalls.