As Takata's biggest customer, Honda naturally bore the brunt of recalls that stemmed from the former's faulty airbag. Honda has announced Jan. 10 that an additional 772,000 vehicles will be recalled, expanding the recalled Honda and Acura cars to 1.29 million.
This constituted the recall's second-phase for Honda, which was enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since May of last year.
Honda Recall Details
The recall will entail the replacement of Takata airbags that do not have moisture absorbing desiccant. Aside from this requirement, Honda states that no more new airbag inflator will be covered since affected vehicles have already been subjected to the first tranche of recalled units.
The automaker, however, stressed that some cars that underwent airbag replacement during the previous recall could now require replacements. It is not yet clear if the service and the replacement parts will still be free for these.
The Honda and Acura models included in the latest recall will all get their cars fixed for free. These include:
• 2005-2006 Acura MDX
• 2005-2012 Acura RL
• 2009-2012 Acura TSX
• 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon
• 2010-2012 Acura ZDX
• 2008-2012 Honda Accord
• 2010-2012 Honda Crosstour
• 2006-2011 Honda Civic
• 2005-2011 Honda CR-V
• 2005-2011 Honda Element
• 2012 Honda FCX Clarity
• 2007-2012 Honda Fit
• 2010-2012 Honda Insight
• 2005-2012 Honda Pilot
• 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline
"With as high as a 50% chance of a dangerous airbag inflator rupture in a crash, these vehicles are unsafe and need to be repaired immediately," Anthony Foxx, U.S. Transportation Secretary, stressed.
Total Of Takata-Related Recall
Including the latest batch, the grand total of Honda and Acura vehicles recalled in the United States hovers around 11.4 million. This excludes affected motorcycles such as the 2006 to 2009 and 2012 Honda Gold Wing. According to Honda, affected vehicles in this segment are around 3,580.
The total of recalled vehicles, including those by other carmakers, has now reached more than 100 million globally. For this reason, the Takata airbag recall is now considered the world's worst case for this type of recall and costs $24 billion.
The deadly Takata airbag defect stemmed from the way the company used a chemical to inflate its airbag in the event of a crash. The process leads to an explosion and can send metal shrapnel into the passenger cabin.
Around 16 deaths have been directly linked to the Takata airbag flaw as well as over a hundred of passenger injuries. Reports revealed that ten of these deaths involved Honda cars.
Takata has reportedly agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department to the tune of $1 billion. In addition, it has also admitted guilt for criminal misconduct.
Owners of the identified vehicles in the latest recall can contact Honda for more details at (888) 234-2138. The company also provides detailed information about its recall in a dedicated website for Honda and Acura.
