MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - American Honda Motor Co., Inc., is recalling about 440,000 cars over a potentially fatal airbag defect, the automaker said.

Honda is expanding its previous recall of several thousand vehicles launched in November. The expanded recall concerns 2001-2002 Accords, 2001 Civics and 2002-2003 Acura TLs.

The defect in question is believed to have already killed one person and injured a few others.

"In some vehicles, airbag inflators can produce over-pressurization of the driver's (front) airbag inflator mechanism during airbag deployment. If an affected inflator deploys, the increased internal pressure may cause the inflator casing to rupture," Honda said in a press release on Friday.

"Metal fragments could pass through the cloth airbag cushion material, possibly causing an injury or fatality to vehicle occupants," it said.