Federal traffic regulators urged drivers to check and replace their airbags, as more than 300,000 older Honda and Acura vehicles contain airbags that pose life-threatening risks.
A significant number of the Honda and Acura cars manufactured between 2001 and 2003 feature the infamous Takata airbags, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently criticized.
"With as high as a 50 percent chance of a dangerous air bag inflator rupture in a crash, these vehicles are unsafe and need to be repaired immediately," warns Anthony Foxx, the transport secretary.
He points out that the vehicles that carry the faulty airbags need to be repaired as soon as possible, adding that the dealership will make the repair and replacement free of charge.
Should you, or anyone you care about, have one of the following models, take them to the dealership and have them looked at.
The autos under risk are:
• Honda Civic models 2001-2002
• Honda Accord models 2001-2002
• Acura TL models 2002-2003
• Honda CR-V model 2002
• Honda Odyssey model 2002
• Acura CL model 2003
• Honda Pilot model 2003
The NHTSA's bulletin comes to back the recall effort targeting defective Takata airbags that made 14 victims and are behind more than 100 injuries.
The main issue these airbags have is a manufacturing defect causing the metal parts in the airbag to rupture during deployment. This means that in the event of a crash that opens the airbag, the cabin could be filled with flying shrapnels as well.
For example, a recent traffic tragedy took place where a teenager died as one of the fragments that shot out from the airbag cut an artery in her neck. The driver was behind the wheel of a Honda Civic.
No less than 14 carmakers recalled more than 60 million vehicles in the United States, with millions extra being called back overseas.
According to the NHTSA, certain weather conditions contributed to the high risks. In humid regions such as Texas, Florida and different parts of the Gulf Coast and Southern California presented an elevated risk for cars that come equipped with Takata's airbags.
The mix of high temperature and elevated humidity is causing one compound that Takata uses to inflate its airbags to tear down quickly over time, thus spiking the risk of explosion.
The NHTSA mentions that 70 percent of the vehicles identified as high-risk were already taken care of, which means the agency took all the measures to test and assure the safety of the repaired models. However, it seems that 313,000 of those vehicles are still on the roads and left unchecked.
By going to SaferCar.gov, drivers are able to see whether their car has been recalled. High-risk vehicles will get replacement parts for no extra charge.
Honda told the media that it supplements its customer service staff to dispatch the problem quickly and safely. The automaker promised that a targeted social media campaign is on the way, so that its clients are made aware of the situation.
In February, Honda recalled more than 2.23 million vehicles suspected of packing faulty Takata airbags.
Recall efforts accelerated as information reached the media that both Takata and Honda were aware of the issue, but decided to voluntarily ignore it.
