More than 2 million Australian cars are set to be hit by the largest product recall in the country's history.

Key points: Takata airbags' inflators have a defect that can cause them to explode

Takata airbags' inflators have a defect that can cause them to explode Compulsory recall list includes 875,000 that weren't on voluntary recall list last year, from new manufacturers including Ford, Holden and others

Compulsory recall list includes 875,000 that weren't on voluntary recall list last year, from new manufacturers including Ford, Holden and others All defective Takata airbags need to be replaced by end of 2020

The Federal Government today announced a new, compulsory recall of 2.7 million cars affected by the defective Takata airbags.

The airbags have been associated with 20 deaths globally, including one death in Australia last year.

The faulty Takata airbags' inflators contain a defect that can cause them to explode and propel shrapnel into drivers and passengers.

The shards have been known to puncture eyes, faces, necks and chests.

Cars on the compulsory recall list include various models that have already been subject to a voluntary recall — Toyota, Mazda, Honda, BMW, Chrysler, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and several others.

But models from other manufacturers that had previously not been identified in the voluntary recall will also be subject to the compulsory recall.

Among the new manufacturers on the list are Ford, GM Holden, Mercedes Benz, Tesla, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has ordered these manufacturers to provide a list of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) of the 850,000 additional affected vehicles by April 3. Those VINs will then be added to the existing compulsory recall list.

Last year, the ACCC issued a voluntary recall on the 60 types of cars sold in Australia that used the faulty airbags.

But Assistant Minister Michael Sukkar said today that voluntary recall had not been robust enough.

"I've agreed with this recommendation because the previous voluntary recall has not been satisfactory overall, and it's the safety of all Australians which is the first priority of this government," he said.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims said people who had already replaced airbags under the voluntary recall last year would need to check again to see if their car was listed on the new recall.

This is because in some cases, faulty Takata airbags were replaced with like-for-like, which only delayed the risk of the airbag exploding.

All defective Takata airbags will need to be replaced by December 31, 2020.

Sorry, this video has expired Government recalls over 2 million Takata airbags

Cars with 'Alpha' airbags should not be driven at all

The ACCC believes about 27,000 of Takata's Alpha airbags are yet to be replaced.

Mr Sims said the Alpha airbags carry the highest risk of explosion, classified as "critical", and cars with these airbags were not safe to drive.

How many airbags are we talking? 2.7 million vehicles in total are included in the new compulsory recall

vehicles are included in the new compulsory recall 1.4 million are from last year's voluntary recall list of 2.7 million vehicles, which are yet to be fixed

are from of 2.7 million vehicles, which are yet to be fixed 1.3 million new vehicles have been added to the compulsory list How does that break down? 850,000 of the new cars on the list are from manufacturers not included in the voluntary recall list last year

of the new cars on the list are list last year 450,000 of the new cars on the list will have to be replaced in the future , but not urgently

of the new cars on the list will , but not urgently 27,000 of the most critical — Alpha airbags — are estimated as yet to be fixed, but not all of those are thought to be on the roads

of the most critical — — are estimated as yet to be fixed, but not all of those are thought to be on the roads If you're one of the 1 million customers who had their airbag replaced under the voluntary recall, you may still need to check the list in case your replacement was also faulty

The ACCC chairman said it was not clear how many of these cars were still on Australian roads, but urged consumers to check the list and immediately stop driving their cars if they found it on the "critical" list.

"I think there's about 27,000 still around, but we suspect most of them are in junk yards," Mr Sims said.

"For those airbags we're saying to people don't drive the car again, just contact the manufacturer, they are obliged to come out and fix it."

Consumer watchdog Choice's spokesman Tom Godfrey said it was crucial people check the new list.

"See if your car is affected, because if you have one of the lethal Alpha inflators then your airbag can fail in up to 50 per cent of deployments," he said.

"That's almost 1 in 2 chances your airbag will fire shrapnel at you and your family when it's deployed."

More than 180 injuries have been recorded worldwide, prompting the recall of 100 million vehicles.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury called it a "very serious global safety issue".

"To be honest this recall has been going on a lot longer than anyone is comfortable with. I suspect the Government is frustrated by that, hence today's announcement," he said.

Car companies accused of putting drivers at risk

Choice has warned consumers who thought they had the issue fixed in earlier recalls they may still be driving with a deadly airbag.

"Millions of consumers have been driving around on roads sitting in front of these potentially lethal airbags and the car companies just can't be trusted," Mr Godfrey said.

"We've shown that these car companies continued to put their interests ahead of consumers, whether it was failing to disclose like-for-like replacement of the airbags [or] downplaying the risk people face."

A spokesperson for the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said their members had done an "extremely good job" in implementing voluntary recalls of the deadly airbags.

But the group's chief executive, Tony Weber, acknowledged the like-for-like replacement of faulty bags in those recalls did not resolve the safety issues.

"This is about risk profiling and keeping people safe, it means the bag might have to be replaced twice, but it reduces the danger," he said.

Older airbags in humid climates to be replaced first

Replacements of the non-critical airbags will be prioritised according to the level of risk, which depends on several factors including age and the climate in which the car is driven.

"The problem with the airbag is the drying agent. There's a problem in the design," Mr Sims said.

"When the moisture gets in, the propelling mechanism can alight too quickly and cause fragments of metal to come out from the airbag, which, tragically, has killed one person in Australia."

Mr Sukkar identified the Northern Territory and north Queensland as those climates that would constitute a higher risk.

Mr Sims said manufacturers would bear the cost of all replacements, and that consumers should not be overly inconvenienced by getting their airbags replaced.

He added that manufacturers who could not replace all affected airbags in a vehicle within 24 hours should provide consumers with a hire or loan car, and that people in remote areas should not have to drive to manufacturers themselves.

"If you bought the car in a very remote location and it's too hard to come in, they've got to go to you, and in relation to those Alpha airbags … don't drive the car, just contact the manufacturer. They are obliged to come out and fix it," Mr Sims said.

Takata admitted last year it hid evidence about defect

In Feburary last year the Takata Corporation pleaded guilty to fraud and agreed to pay a $1.3 billion penalty for concealing a deadly defect in millions of its air bags.

Deaths linked to Takata airbags 2009: One death in the US

2009: One death in the US 2013: One death in the US

2013: One death in the US 2014: One death in Malaysia, two in the US

2014: One death in Malaysia, two in the US 2015: Four deaths in the US

2015: Four deaths in the US 2016: Three deaths in the US, four in Malaysia

2016: Three deaths in the US, four in Malaysia 2017: One death in Australia Sources: AP archives, Center for Auto Safety, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Honda Motor Co., legal documents and police reports

Takata admitted to hiding evidence about the defect in the inflators.

According to the company's annual report, Takata commercialised the word's first driver airbags in 1980.

In 2013 it launched the world's first driver-side airbag with Flexible Venting Technology, which Takata said incorporated a "smart" pressure control mechanism that allowed the air vent to be controlled by the air bag itself, rather than via sensors in the vehicle.