US Scrutiny Leads Honda to Expand Safety Recall for Takata Airbag Dangers

After the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a federal safety recall for Takata airbags in all vehicles that might have them, Honda Motor Corp has announced its own expanded safety recall to prevent more personal injuries and wrongful deaths from exploding Takata airbags.

On Thursday, November 6th, the Japanese automotive manufacturer announced that it would expand the safety recall involving Takata airbags by hundreds of thousands of vehicles, but it did not specify exactly how many. However, Honda did specify that the vehicle models were in the 2001 to 2006 model years.

Honda said “it is not aware of any claimed injuries or fatalities that have been confirmed” related to the issue.

Numerous other automobile manufacturers have issued safety recalls after discovering Takata airbags used in their cars and SUVs, including BMW, Mazda, Toyota, and General Motors.

Honda’s previous Takata airbag safety recalls covered 560,000 vehicles in April, then over 1 million in June. The NHTSA demanded more airbag information from Honda just one day before the Japanese automobile manufacturer expanded the safety recall.

The safety recall covers the 2003 to 2005 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2003-2004 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Pilot and the 2006 Ridgeline. Also included are the 2003-2005 Acura MDX and the 2005 Acura RL. Most states affected by the safety recall have high humidity, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam and American Samoa.

The vehicles covered in the nearly-8 million vehicle safety recall date as far back as 2000, according to the NHTSA. Part of the problem with Takata’s airbags is that the internal mechanism degrades with age, and exposure to moisture in the air.

“We have become increasingly troubled and alarmed by the confusing and conflicting advice being issued by N.H.T.S.A., and the glacial pace of the agency’s response to this public safety threat,” said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times.

The NHTSA said the safety recall was urgent because at least four people have died due to the faulty Takata airbags.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury and Vehicle Recalls

If an airbag defect in your vehicle caused a car accident, you may not know immediately what recourse you have. Although the law is complicated, you do have legal recourse against the vehicle’s manufacturer. It is important for manufacturers to pay attention to the quality of their products and issue vehicle recall notices in a timely fashion – however, not all automobile manufacturers will do so, and consumers can be seriously injured or killed.

If you have experienced a problem with a defective product in your automobile, especially if a defective part has led to an auto accident or personal injury, and a proper vehicle recall notice has not been issued, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We can help you with complicated auto insurance claims, and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve to help you with lost income and medical bills. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in South Carolina, Georgia, and New York. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so contact us today at (803) 252-4800.