Toyota is having to recall 5.8 million cars around the world over potentially faulty air bag inflators.

The inflators in question use ammonium nitrate which can explode with excessive force after drying out due to prolonged exposure to hot conditions.

They have been linked to at least 16 deaths.

The latest recall includes about 20,000 cars which were fitted with replacement inflators following an initial recall in 2010.

The problem was the replacement parts are also potentially dangerous as they do not contain a drying agent.

Transport authorities around the world now consider inflators without a drying agent to be unsafe, and have ordered all of them to be withdrawn.

The airbags are made by Japanese firm Takata, which is facing massive compensation claims for using the dangerous chemical compound.

About 100 million Takata air bag inflators have been classified as defective worldwide.

Which cars and where

Toyota’s latest recall includes the Corolla and the Vitz or Yaris hatchback. It covers driver-side and passenger-side airbags installed in cars produced between May 2000 and November 2001, and April 2006 and December 2014, the company said.

It affects about 1.16 million vehicles sold in Japan, about 820,000 cars sold in China and around 1.47 million cars in the European market.

The recall extends to Central and South America, Africa, the Near and Middle East and Singapore, and also includes the Hilux pick-up truck and the Etios line of sedans and hatchbacks.