GM must recall 5.9 million vehicles for air bag issue -- agency

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Co must recall 5.9 million vehicles with Takata air bag inflators after a U.S. safety agency said Monday it had rejected the Detroit automaker's petition to avoid the callback.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said GM must recall the 2007-2014 trucks and SUVs because the inflators "are at risk of the same type of explosion after long-term exposure to high heat and humidity as other recalled Takata inflators." GM has it could cost it $1.2 billion if it were required to replace air bag inflators it had sought to avoid fixing.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)