Honda recalls thousands of Accord vehicles for Takata inflator risk

Torrance, Calif.—April 7, 2017—Honda (NYSE:HMC) is recalling 37,421 cars equipped with potentially dangerous Takata airbag inflators. The recall affects 2003 Honda Accords.

Recall summary

An acknowledgment statement said this action, designated as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall number 17V-220, deals specifically with vehicles that could already have endured a crash or other accident deploying the air bag.

The source said that the inflators in replacement modules for the passenger-side frontal air bags could accidentally rupture, leaving occupants at risk of injury from metal shards. As with the other Takata inflator recalls, this one concerns units where the risk is higher in humid environments.

Last May, NHTSA said that the Takata recall would eventually include as much as 68.8 million vehicles. Honda has repaired 51.64 percent of the total air bags included in the action, most of them being driver-side air bags.

The repair

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any Takata inflator used in the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 1, 2017.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 37,000 vehicles were originally part of this recall. As of October 19, 2018, – the last date for which information was available – 8,653 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

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Honda Recalls World’s Only Air Bag-Equipped Motorcycle

Torrance, Calif. – Feb. 06, 2017 – Honda is recalling 882 motorcycles equipped with potentially dangerous Takata airbags. The recall affects the Honda Gold Wing motorcycle – the only motorcycle in the world today equipped with an air bag. The recall covers the following models:

  • 2006-2007 Honda GL1800 Gold Wings
  • 2012 Honda GL1800 Gold Wings

Recall Summary

According to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the propellant wafers in some air bag inflators may degrade over time due to excessive heat or humidity. If the air bags are activated, they could do so with excessive force, causing the inflators to rupture and spread shrapnel at the rider. In addition, some defective air bags in automobiles have inflated without warning, causing injury and death. As of this year, 11 deaths and more than 180 injuries have been attributed to faulty Takata air bags around the world.

Due to the impact of climate on the air bags, the recall will focus on specific regional zones:

  • All of the above models sold and registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Island.
  • Model year 2006-2009 motorcycles sold and registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
  • Model year 2006 – 2008 motorcycles sold and registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Honda previously recalled 2,701 2006 – 2010 Gold Wing motorcycles for a similar air bag issue in June 2016. The effort was also largely focused on areas of the U.S. where high heat and humidity was the norm.

The repair

Honda will notify all motorcycle owners of the recall, and dealers will replace the air bag module, free of charge. The recall will occur in phases, based on risk levels. Those manufactured between 2006 and 2010 will be recalled first, while the rest will be handled next. If customers have already chosen to have a dealer deactivate the air bag while they wait for replacement parts, it is important for them to determine that the module has indeed been completely turned off before getting a replacement. This can be done by disconnecting the negative battery terminal and checking the fuse plate.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 800 vehicles were originally part of this recall. As of April 24, 2018, – the last date for which information was available – 434 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

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Honda, Ford, Announce Additional Takata-Related Recalls

Washington, D.C. — January 19, 2016 — Of all the automakers that have been affected by the Takata air bag defects and subsequent nationwide recalls, Honda appears to have been hit the hardest.

Across the U.S., 11 fatalities and more than 100 injuries have been attributed to Takata’s defective air bag inflators, according to NBC News. These air bags can inflate with too much force, rupturing a metal canister and launching shrapnel at drivers and occupants. Honda has said that among those incidents, 10 of the deaths occurred in Honda vehicles between 2009 and 2016.

Honda announces additional recalls over air bag defects

This week, Honda announced that it will be recalling additional vehicles as a result of defective Takata air bag launchers –  and not a small number, either. The International Business Times reported that the company will add 772,000 Honda and Acura vehicles to recalls in the U.S, making a total of over 1.2 million vehicles.

These will include the following specific models:

  • 2005-2006 Acura MDX
  • 2005-2012 Acura RL
  • 2008-2012 Honda Accord
  • 2006-2011 Honda Civic
  • 2007-2012 Honda Fit
  • 2010-2012 Honda Insight
  • 2009-2012 Acura TSX
  • 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon
  • 2010-2012 Acura ZDX
  • 2010-2012 Acura ZDX
  • 2005-2011 Honda CR-V
  • 2005-2011 Honda Element
  • 2012 Honda FCX Clarity
  • 2005-2012 Honda Pilot
  • 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline

The specific problem in these vehicles appears to be the front passenger seat air bag inflators. Honda said in a press release that a specific number of inflators – known as “Alpha” inflators – have alarmingly high failure rates and will be the focus of the recall.

All told, Reuters reports that Honda has recalled 11.4 million U.S. registered vehicles as a result of this defect.

Ford expands Takata recall

Honda may be the most exposed automaker to the Takata defects, but it isn’t the only company that has boosted its recall numbers of late. This week, Ford announced that it would recall 816,000 vehicles for similar air bag issues.

Of the recalls, about 600,000 were located in the U.S., while the remaining models were located in Canada. All were built in North America. Autoblog reports that the following models will be affected:

  • 2005-09 and 2012 Ford Mustang
  • 2005-06 Ford GT
  • 2006-09 and 2012 Ford Fusion
  • 2007-09 Ford Ranger
  • 2007-09 Ford Edge
  • 2006-09 and 2012 Lincoln Zephyr and Lincoln MKZ
  • 2007-09 Lincoln MKX
  • 2006-09 Mercury Milan

Ford has not identified any injuries or deaths that occurred in its vehicles as a result of the defects. It has now recalled about 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S., according to Reuters.

Government settlement will move forward

Earlier this month, there were hints that Takata would agree to settle with the U.S. government over the air bag defects. Now, Reuters has reported that this will indeed happen.

The company has made an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to pay a $1 billion settlement. This will reportedly be split into multiple parts. About $850 million will be directed toward automakers that were forced to conduct massive recalls. Another $125 million will be directed toward victim compensation. Finally, the last $25 million will take the form of a criminal fine.

In addition, Takata will be monitored by an independent third party going forward to ensure the problems that led to the defects are addressed.

Reuters added that Takata may also plead guilty to wire fraud charges, or to providing false test data to U.S. regulators. This is based on information from another settlement in 2015, in which Takata admitted to providing both automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with incomplete or inaccurate data for several years.

Is your vehicle part of these recalls?

Around 1.8 million vehicles were originally part of these recalls. As of April 9, 2021 – the last date information was available – 1,411,939 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Note: June 24, 2021

We have noticed a large number of readers are interested in this recall. For that reason, we have added the last section where drivers can check if their vehicle is part of this recall and included the recall completion rate. The article has also been updated to reflect the latest editorial standards.

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Moisture Buildup Leads To Honda Ridgeline Stability Problems

Torrance, Calif. – Jan. 12, 2017 – Honda will conduct a recall of nearly 10,000 Ridgeline AWD vehicles after it became apparent that a particular defect allows moisture to build up and corrode rear-wheel sensors, ultimately threatening vehicle stability.

The Defect

The problem affects model year 2017 Ridgeline vehicles manufactured between April 1, 2016 and Aug. 11, 2016, according to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. An error in a wiring connection joint underneath a drain hole in the truck bed allows moisture to seep in. This can come into contact with connection terminals, including speed terminals located at the rear wheels. If these cannot function, drivers may experience loss of control and could be at higher risk of crashing during operation.

Timeline of Events

  • July 6, 2016 – Honda received its first warranty claim of a Ridgeline with a Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illumination.
  • August. – October 2016 – Further investigation of the claim revealed that the problem may have been corroded wiring harnesses. Honda reached out to suppliers and confirmed that the design of the wiring connection did not match specifications. This was corrected in the production line. Meanwhile, additional review of the problem showed that an all-wheel drive system failure would initiate a fail-safe mode for safe operation.
  • November 2016 – Honda later discovered that specific corrosion scenarios could cause sensor terminals to report nonexistent wheel slippage, resulting in stability problems. Honda determined that this merited a safety recall.

Resolution

Owners of all affected vehicles will be notified of the recall by mail, and will be asked to bring their vehicles to their nearest dealer for inspection. If necessary, all repairs will be completed, free of charge.

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Honda Working With Repair Shops To Find Takata Airbags [Video]

In an effort to track down every vehicle with a faulty Takata air bag, Honda plans to work with independent repair shops to flag cars as they come in for repairs.

According to Autoweek, Honda and software provider CCC have a program that mechanics will use to notify customers if their cars are subject to open Takata air bag recalls that haven’t been acted upon.

The Takata defect was so widespread that automakers are going to great lengths to ensure that the 70 million inflators that found their way into U.S. vehicles are accounted for. This approach will help protect those who bought their cars secondhand.

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Honda Recalls 2016 Vehicles for Tail Light Issues

Torrance, Calif. — Sept. 30, 2016 — Some Honda vehicles could fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards guideline 108 – “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Assoc. Equipment.” The original acknowledgement, dated for Aug. 10, stated that some 2016 Honda Civic vehicles may potentially come with faulty lights.

The manufacturer reported the issue Jul. 8, and it could affect 11,846 2-door vehicles. In these autos, the source said, circuit board damage could affect the lights and make vehicles harder to see. All of the included vehicles were produced between Feb. 23 and May 20.

According to the Part 573 Safety Recall Report, the first vehicles with these issues were discovered May 24 as part of a vehicle quality check. The discovery led to the June 30 decision to conduct a recall, after circuit boards were possibly damaged in transit.

No specific signs for determining if the problem was present were listed. The remedy requires dealers to inspect Honda tail light assemblies. The report also said that there were no injuries related to this defect as of June 23.

The affected component comes from supplier Automotive Lighting LLC, based in Auburn Hills, Mich. Owner notification was scheduled Aug. 8, almost a full month after dealer notification on July 9. The report said that owners would be notified by mail if they were subject to this recall.

An instruction document from the manufacturer goes into greater detail about the procedures needed to repair the vehicles. Both the right and left taillight assemblies may be necessary for the remedy, depending on the specific case. The procedure will have dealers remove the trunk rear side trim panels to install either one or both taillights.

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Honda Recall Looks for Wrong Airbags [Video]

Torrance, CA — May 16, 2016 —More than 11,600 Honda Accord Sedans are part of a new recall addressing airbag issues. According to a press release, these airbags do not meet U.S. standards and could put vehicle occupants in danger. Though the source didn’t say exactly which features aren’t compliant, it noted that customers should receive notifications starting this May.

Airbag modules in these vehicles were accidentally made to South American standards instead of those of the United States. There have been no reports of injury, though the manufacturer has received more than 30 warranty claims. The potentially faulty vehicles were produced between 2003 and 2007.

Once they receive the official notification, owners can work with dealers to replace the faulty modules.

Visit our blog for more airbag recall news, including details on the Takata airbag inflator recalls.

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Possible Engine Damage Prompts Honda to Stop Civic Sales [Video]

Washington, DC — February 22, 2016 — In addition to a recall, Honda is halting sales to prevent possible engine damage. According to AutoBlog, the issue comes from faulty piston pin snap rings in assorted two-liter engines and will impact around 34,000 vehicles.

In addition, a factory spokesperson told the source that Civics with 1.5-liter engines will not be impacted by this action. Currently, the official website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that engine failure could occur because of these faulty parts.

While more details on this situation are still forthcoming, the manufacturer is already planning to contact owners some time in the middle of next month. This information comes from data posted on a Civic forum before the actual recall announcement has been made.

Thanks for watching!

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Honda, Subaru Models Added to Takata Recall

Washington, DC — January 19, 2016 — Honda’s involvement in the Takata airbag inflator recalls has been notable, considering the related fatalities in Honda vehicles. Late last month, the manufacturer announced that it would recall 127,000 CR-V’s with 2003 and 2004 model years, as Car and Driver reports. That month also saw the manufacturer submit a recall amendment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which named both 2WD and 4WD models as part of the action.

Throughout 2015, the NHTSA has posted updates to efforts related to passenger side front airbag Honda recalls. CR-V’s were included among the nine models mentioned in the first recall, originally noted this past June. The amendment states that owner notification is believed to be completed by January 29.

The NHTSA also noted progress in the existing Takata airbag recall efforts

On December 23, the agency also noted progress in the existing Takata airbag recall efforts. In addition to the Honda CR-V’s, the updates to the recall include Mazda 6 vehicles from between 2005 and 2008, and Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles from the same model year period. It also appointed law firm partner John Buretta as an assistant in monitoring Takata’s further activities as the recall process continues.

“The expansions are the result of Takata ballistic testing conducted over recent months,” the statement reads. “Consumers are urged to check their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for open recalls and to contact their local dealer to schedule repairs.”

This statement also referenced nine total fatalities connected to the defect worldwide, with the most recent in a 2001 vehicle operated in a humid region. Previous reports on the recall have noted how humidity and high heat can make inflators more likely to rupture.

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Honda Models at Highest Risk in Ongoing Takata Recall

Washington, DC — November 30, 2015 — Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would impose a record fine on Takata after the massive recalls following concern over its potentially explosive airbag inflators. More recently, the organization has sought out possible applicants to work as a monitor as described in a Consent Order and Coordinated Remedy Order.

Though the recalls have affected 12 manufacturers, including Toyota, Ford and Nissan, the brand with the largest amount of models at high risk is Honda, which claims to have fixed 44 percent of its recalled vehicle population.

Honda vehicles have also been involved in the accidents the faulty inflators have caused. Most recently, a Utah woman named Randi Johnson sued the company for an explosion that damaged her vocal cords this September. This incident involved a 2003 Honda Civic: Honda reportedly has nine models at the highest levels of risk, dating back as far as model year 2001. There have been eight fatal accidents traced to these inflators so far.

Late last month, the New York Times reported on a different Honda recall centered on hundreds of thousands of Accords. Improper sensors in these vehicles could activate airbags if doors were slammed too hard: complaints surrounding this issue reportedly stretch as far back as last year.

After Honda, the manufacturer with the highest number of affected models is Fiat Chrysler, responsible for seven models at the highest level of risk. As CNBC notes, Priority One vehicle owner demand has to be met by March 31 of next year.

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