Honda is planning to start recalls and nationwide repairs on 2.6 million vehicles that have airbags made by Takata Corporation.
The driver-side airbags were reported to inflate beyond the required force, causing it to blow apart metallic canisters expelling dangerous shrapnel towards the driver and passengers. Five people have already died because of the faulty airbags
The airbags were said to be blowing up with too much force due to humidity. Other car makers have also started doing vehicle recalls in the Gulf Coast to avoid more untoward incidents. Honda has started repairs of their vehicles in the US. The recalls will be limited to the Gulf Coast area.
According to investigators, the airbags use ammonium nitrate as its inflator propellant, which burns faster if exposed to high humidity. The design may be safe for cooler areas, but not for humid or warm countries. The amonium nitrate causes the forcible infaltion of the driver-side airbags.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says recalls for the passenger airbags will be only be available in areas that are highly humid. There are no reports for the passenger airbags having the same problems to date.
Honda Executives are not calling the nationwide repairs as a recall, but a "safety improvement campiagn." BMW, Mazda, and Ford are still deciding whether to join the nationwide repairs, while Chrysler and Takata Corp. have expressed their decline to comply with the US government's demand.
Affected Honda vehicles include:
Accura TL (2002-2003)
Acura CL (2002)
Acura MDs (2003-2006)
Accord four-cylinder (2001-2007)
Accord V6 (2001-2002)
CRV (2002-2006)
Civic (2001-2005)
Elements (2003-2011)
Odyssey (2002-2004)
Pilot (2003-2007)
Ridgeline (2006)
Owners of Honda vehicles can check if their automobile is for recall or repair via Honda's website.
