« Back to List

1.1 million Honda and Acuras recalled following discovery by Motley Rice of its potentially deadly Takata airbags

American Honda recently announced a recall of 1.1 million vehicles due to a defective airbag inflators. This recall is for replacement airbags that were previously installed in the vehicles in the wake of the Takata airbag scandal.

The latest recall affects replacement airbags installed in the front drivers’ side of vehicles including:

Recalled Honda models

  • 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord
  • 2001-2005 Honda Civic
  • 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 Honda CR-V
  • 2003-2011 Honda Element
  • 2007 Honda Fit
  • 2002-2004 Honda Odyssey
  • 2003-2008 Honda Pilot
  • 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline

Recalled Acura models

  • 2003 Acura 3.2CL
  • 2013-2016 Acura ILX
  • 2003-2006 Acura MDX
  • 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL
  • 2004-2006 and 2009-2014 Acura TL
  • 2007-2016 Acura RDX
  • 2010-2013 Acura ZDX

To see if your vehicle is impacted visit www.safercar.gov and enter your VIN.

Honda stated that it was aware of at least one person who was injured by one of the replacement Takata airbags. The injured person, a man represented by Motley Rice, had a replacement airbag installed in his 2004 Honda Odyssey following a 2015 Honda recall. The replacement airbag later ruptured during a wreck, causing a severe laceration and nerve damage to the man’s right arm.

At the time of the wreck, the man’s vehicle was not under recall due to Honda’s insistence that the newer replacement airbag that was installed in it and other vehicles was safe.

“Signs were clear from the start that certain replacement airbags installed by Honda had the potential to be just as dangerous as the airbags included in the initial Takata recall,” said Motley Rice catastrophic injury attorney Kevin Dean. “Our independent study and testing of the airbags showed that very early on. Honda, for whatever reason, did not address this potentially deadly issue until a serious, permanent injury sustained by my client forced the company to address it. While I am glad to see Honda put safety first by voluntarily recalling these airbags, it doesn’t change my belief that these replacement airbags shouldn’t have been placed on the road in the first place.”      

An investigation after the wreck “revealed that PSDI-5D inflators manufactured at Takata’s Monclova, Mexico facility experienced manufacturing process errors that introduced excessive moisture into the inflator during assembly,” according to the statement released by Honda. “Moisture within the sealed inflator may lead to accelerated propellant degradation over time, leading to higher than normal inflator pressure upon airbag deployment.” 

In all, more than 100 million vehicles have been recalled worldwide due to defective Takata airbags. The defect is known to have caused at least 23 deaths, with hundreds more being injured. Of the 23 deaths, 21 involved Honda vehicles.

If you or a loved one was injured, or tragically killed in a wreck involving a Takata airbag, you may contact attorney Kevin Dean by email or call 1.800.768.4026.