Honda adds 440,000 more cars to airbag fragment recall
2001 Honda Accord - click above for high-res gallery
Honda began a recall campaign last November to repair overpressurized airbag inflators in 2001 Honda Civics and Accords. The excessive pressurization could cause the metal inflator casing to explode on the driver's side, potentially resulting in fragments that would pierce the airbag material and injure drivers.
That recall has now been expanded with the addition of 440,000 cars that include the 2002-2003 Acura TL. Honda says affected owners will receive a recall notice in the mail, or you can check your car's recall status on Honda and Acura's sites. Barring that, you can get all of the information in the press release after the jump or check out our galleries of the 2001 Accord and Civic models below.
Gallery: 2001 Honda Accord
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Gallery: 2001 Honda Civic
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PRESS RELEASE
American Honda Expands Airbag Safety Recall
Certain 2001-2002 Honda Accord, 2001 Civic and 2002-2003 Acura TL driver's airbags affected
07/31/2009 - TORRANCE, Calif. -
An existing safety recall of the driver's airbag in certain 2001 Honda Accords and Civics due to a potential defect in the airbag's inflation system is being expanded to include more vehicles, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. Originally initiated in November 2008, approximately 440,000 additional vehicles are included in the expanded recall, which will require the replacement of the driver's steering-wheel-mounted airbag inflator.
In some vehicles, airbag inflators can produce over-pressurization of the driver's (front) airbag inflator mechanism during airbag deployment. If an affected inflator deploys, the increased internal pressure may cause the inflator casing to rupture. Metal fragments could pass through the cloth airbag cushion material, possibly causing an injury or fatality to vehicle occupants.
Registered owners of vehicles that potentially contain affected inflators will receive a recall notice in the mail over the next few months, with the owners of vehicles most likely to include a problem airbag being contacted first. The recall notice will include further instructions to help schedule a repair to each vehicle. Interested owners may confirm their vehicle's recall status by visiting the Honda "Owner Link" website at www.owners.honda.com/recalls or the Acura "My Acura" website at www.owners.acura.com/recalls. Only certain vehicles are affected, and concerned owners of 2001-2002 Accords, 2001 Civics and 2002-2003 Acura TLs are encouraged to wait to receive a recall notice in the mail before scheduling an appointment with their local dealer.
Consumers can verify their vehicle's recall status by visiting www.owners.honda.com/recalls for Honda vehicles and www.owners.acura.com/recalls for Acura vehicles.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Avinash machado 8:16AM (8/03/2009)
Imagine the outcry if this was a Chevy or a Chrysler.
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chconline 1:40PM (8/03/2009)
The difference is that Honda would recall their vehicles way before anything bad happens after all these years. Certain manufacturers of whom I shall not mention would go as far as refusing recalls by denying acknowledgment of its problems that are much more obvious (and serious) than Honda's recall history.
Epyx 8:40AM (8/03/2009)
I never really noticed before, but that is a really ugly coupe.
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JDM Life 8:52AM (8/03/2009)
Again?
gesh.
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Mr.Oak 9:05AM (8/03/2009)
I wonder how many people were killed or injured by these grenades, errr airbags.
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IOMTT 1:15PM (8/03/2009)
I believe there has been one death. I am not sure what particular model/year was involved.
Smegley 9:34AM (8/03/2009)
At Honda, Quality Is Job 2.
Or maybe 3.
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Nick 9:39AM (8/03/2009)
Smegley,
It does look that way from what they have been releasing lately. However even with their abnormal rear padding wear and oil burning in the latest Accords, I would still buy this over a Chrysler or GM product.
dave1w41 10:05AM (8/03/2009)
Nick sounds pretty typical... Willing to risk death by hot shards of metal because of misguided and incorrect paradigms about American vehicles.
nardvark 10:05AM (8/03/2009)
Boo, my parents have a 2003 Acura TL. Have to make sure they know about this. They had the transmission fail at 65,000 miles on the highway at 75 mph (it downshifted into first with no warning). Acura replaced that free of charge, but still, it was pretty scary. Acura is basically off of my list.
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Sarah 9:58AM (8/03/2009)
Yep you are right Avinash, If this was a GM or Chrysler product there would be a thousand comments by now. Funny how the American public doesn't inform themselves that GM, Ford, and Chrysler's quality has gone way up and the Jap. cars Quality keeps going down, down, down.
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Cleetus Awreetus 2:27AM (8/04/2009)
Thets becuzz them thar cars iz maad by them thar youn yun commies! Those japs wuz a bad bunch in thet thar war some yars ago, but theys a heap bettur then them thar flargity snaggit commies!
Aloysius Vampa 10:21AM (8/03/2009)
HONDAS AREN'T PERFECT?
WHAT.
LIES.
/s
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AngeloD 11:05AM (8/03/2009)
Forced by law to risk a shrapnel injury courtesy of Honda. Another example of the tyranny of the negligent and the nanny state.
Despite the fact that I always wear a seatbelt, I am nevertheless forced to sit facing an explosive device every time I am in a car, all because too many people can't be troubled to buckle up.
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the4thheat 5:00PM (8/03/2009)
Except modern cars don't trigger the airbag if you have your seatbelt on unless the crash is at high speed. In which case you might actually be better off with the metal shrapnel because the airbags only fire if the seatbelt can't hold you back anymore.
farmer0904 11:08AM (8/03/2009)
i DRIVE A 07 Hyundai, no air bag problems and no other problems for the last 3 years save for new tires at 67000 highway miles. I know a friend who brought a 06 Honda now with just 31000 miles, more city though and has had it back in the shop 5 times for recalls, engine warning light, car would not start in cold wreathe, seat track broke and lol the power window stuck halfway up and now this air bag thing ? lol I am glad I brought my Hyundai over a Honda now! My friend wishes the same as well now and is looking at the genesis coupe to buy and trade in that shop car honda. It funny how once car makers get so big they forget what made them huge and let workmanship slip aka Honda . I am glad Hyundai learned from its past mistakes and won't forget what is making them huge now and also watches and learn the down fall of not caring as Honda is making alot of mistakes now which will cost them sales in the future aka OLD GM, save your cash, buy a Hyundai, cheaper, better made and wont break like a Honda it would seem the tides are changing for the two big H';s
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IOMTT 1:21PM (8/03/2009)
Why is this just coming out if we are talking about 2001 to 2003 models? If it was a problem across the modules from this particular supplier, this would have been recalled years ago. Seems strange to me.
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IOMTT 1:27PM (8/03/2009)
I would prefer an integrated roll bar/safety cage and some recaros with a 5 point racing harness over an airbag...seriously. The way people drive these days, maybe I will wear my motorcycle helmet also!
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IOMTT 1:28PM (8/03/2009)
This was a reply to Angelo D....
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xtasi 7:52PM (8/03/2009)
i hear so many banjos playing... odd haven't hear "nasrcar rules" or "get er done".
@dave1w41: it's a 5 to 6 year old car. Air bags explode, that's how they get inflated. It would require you to be in an accident for it to deploy
Ford: remember the issue with cruise control, here cars set on fire... that would be much preferable when you leave your car at night. (the cars need not be running for the fire to occur).
GM: how is that batter cable issue on the new Camaro (though ,GM halted production and fixed it very quickly).
all cars have issues, it's just how bad and how often.
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