On Wednesday afternoon, US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Mark Rosekind said during an interaction with reporters that beleaguered Japanese auto-parts supplier Takata has agreed to recall an additional 35 million to 40 million vehicles equipped with defective airbag inflators.

The exact number of vehicles affected by Takata's latest airbag recall is not immediately known, but - going by the indications from the NHTSA - the recall will affect at least 35 million additional vehicles in the US.

Takata has already recalled approximately 28.8 million vehicles in the country, because of a defect in the airbags which cause them to explode in case of a crash. The defective Takata airbags have reportedly led to 11 deaths.

As a result of Takata's decision to expand its airbags recall to at least 35 million additional vehicles in the US, the Takata airbag crisis now underscores the largest vehicle recall ever in the country.

About the expansion of airbags recall to an additional 35-40 million US vehicles, Takata said in a statement that it has "agreed to accept and support the expanded recalls respecting Takata's and NHTSA's shared interest towards future safety and restoring public confidence."