Honda and its Acura luxury brand are asking owners of about 8,200 vehicles from model years 2001-2003 to stop driving their cars until the automaker can finish replacing potentially deadly Takata airbag inflators first recalled a decade ago.
“If you own one of these vehicles and still have an open Takata airbag recall, do not drive it until this urgent, lifesaving recall has been completed,” the company urges in a press release issued with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“These vehicles are 20 to 22 years old now, and the risk to vehicle occupants is dire,” they say.
Affected models include:
- 2001-2002 Honda Accord
- 2001-2002 Honda Civic
- 2002 Honda CR-V
- 2002 Honda Odyssey
- 2003 Honda Pilot
- 2002-2003 Acura 3.2 TL
- 2003 Acura 3.2CL
History’s Largest Recall Still Claiming Lives
It’s a problem you’ve probably heard about before. But it may also be a problem you haven’t dealt with in your car.
Honda’s warning is the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of the largest recall in automotive history.
The Takata airbag recall started in 2013 and included cars made by 34 manufacturers and sold on at least five continents. The federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says at least 67 million cars on American roads carried the deadly parts when dealers first sold them.
NHTSA says as many as 50 million have been repaired or taken off the road. But there may be 17 million cars still driving around with a potentially deadly defect.
An Explosive In Your Steering Wheel
An airbag inflator is a small metal capsule containing chemicals that combine to create a rapidly expanding gas.
In an accident, the inflator is supposed to squirt that gas out of a nozzle, quickly inflating a folded airbag so that it can cushion occupants from hitting collapsing car parts.
Some Takata inflators, however, can explode under pressure instead. That can send hot metal fragments flying toward drivers and passengers.
The Takata corporation, at one point, was the world’s largest producer of airbag inflators. Takata inflators were found in cars built by dozens of manufacturers worldwide.
According to the Associated Press, they’ve killed at least 32 people worldwide and 23 in the U.S.
Warnings Growing More Urgent
Hyundai and Acura are not the first manufacturers to ask owners to stop driving older cars. Dodge and Chrysler did the same twice in 2022.
Automakers are struggling to get through to the last owners who haven’t had the recall repair performed. They often reach out regularly. Last year, NHTSA confirmed another Takata airbag-related death of a man who had received more than 100 notices to bring his car in for a free, new inflator.
Honda says it has replaced more than 99% of the recalled inflators, “but it is absolutely critical that these remaining vehicle owners act now to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
The Repair Is Quick and Easy
By now, virtually every car dealership in America has replaced dozens of Takata airbag inflators. They’re good at it. Dealers tell us the appointment to replace an inflator typically takes less than an hour.
Recall repairs are free. Check whether your car has any outstanding recalls with the easy VIN tool at our recall center.
Acura/Honda Customer Service can be reached at 888-234-2138 or by visiting their Takata airbag inflator recall website.
