Major car manufacturers have raised the warning level for some models fitted with Takata airbags to "critical" after new assessments showed them to be even more dangerous than first believed.

The new warning affects about 20,000 Australian cars already under recall and comes from leading manufacturers including BMW, Holden, Honda, Mitsubishi and Toyota.

Major car manufacturers have raised Takata airbag warnings to "critical" for 20,000 Australian cars.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said none of the affected models should be driven.

The urgent recall means drivers with affected models are entitled to have them towed to the dealership by the manufacturer and have the airbag replaced for free, said deputy ACCC chair Delia Rickard on Friday.