Honda is back in the news due to its recent decision to recall about 1.3 million vehicles because of concerns over their Takata airbags exploding. With the recall, Honda plans on replacing the metal inflators in passenger-side airbags in order to make the vehicles safer. However, this isn’t the first time Honda has had to recall their vehicles due to safety concerns over the Takata airbags. At the beginning of 2016, Honda recalled 2.2 million vehicles because of the airbag. To date, nearly 11.4 million Honda vehicles have been recalled due to the Takata airbag safety concern, and even includes airbags for some motorcycles, namely the “2006-2009 and 2012 Honda Gold Wing motorcycles.”
But why exactly was the recall issued? What’s wrong with the airbags? Well, according to Honda, the Takata airbag inflators in vehicles being recalled “don’t contain a desiccant, a chemical used to absorb moisture. It’s moisture that is the main enemy of ammonium nitrate, the propellant used to deploy the airbags in a crash.” Other factors also contributed to the recall, like the risk of metal airbag inflators exploding and sending “hot sharp pieces of metal into vehicle occupants.”
The key reason for the recall, however, rests in the fact that deaths and injuries have occurred due to ruptured Takata airbags in Honda cars. In a move to quell customer concerns, the automaker acted quickly and deployed extreme measures by issuing a recall and is working hard “to convince customers to get their cars repaired, including by sending employees to knock on the doors of customers.”
Though many of the vehicles listed under the new recall have already been included in previous airbag recalls, nearly “772,000 of the recalled vehicles have never been recalled in the U.S.” The latest recall includes the following Acura and Honda vehicles:
- 2005-2006 Acura MDX
- 2005-2012 Acura RL
- 2009-2012 Acura TSX
- 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon
- 2010-2012 Acura ZDX
- 2008-2012 Honda Accord
- 2010-2012 Honda Crosstour
- 2006-2011 Honda Civic
- 2005-2011 Honda CR-V
- 2005-2011 Honda Element
- 2012 Honda FCX Clarity
- 2007-2012 Honda Fit
- 2010-2012 Honda Insight
- 2005-2012 Honda Pilot
- 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline
For recalls to work, however, it’s important for vehicle owners to be aware and follow the recall instructions. If your vehicle is on the list above, it would be a smart idea to have it checked out. For more information on what to do, simply call 888-234-2138 or visit www.recalls.honda.com or www.recalls.acura.com.
Sources:
Honda Recalls Nearly 1.3 Million Vehicles To Fix Takata Airbags
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