FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German automaker Daimler, maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, is recalling more than a million vehicles worldwide over a wiring defect that could unexpectedly trigger the air bag.

Germany's dpa news agency reported Monday that 400,000 of the vehicles were registered in Britain and several hundred thousand in Germany, with other countries to follow.

Affected models include certain Mercedes-Benz A-Class, B-Class, C-Class and E-Class models, as well as CLA, GLC, GLK and V-Class.

Daimler says faulty wiring in the steering column means that static electricity could build up and set off the air bag when it wasn't needed, dpa reported. The recalls are set to begin in the next several weeks when repair parts became available to ground the steering column and prevent the static buildup.