Honda Recalls 11K Sedans Because They Contain The Wrong Airbag

Image courtesy of (frankieleon)

Over the past several years, Honda has recalled nearly eight million vehicles equipped with Takata airbags that can shoot shrapnel at drivers and passengers upon deployment. While replacing those safety devices, the carmaker discovered that some vehicles were fitted with the incorrect front passenger airbags. 

Honda announced recently that it will recall 11,602 model year 2004 to 2007 Accord sedans that may have received the incorrect passenger frontal air bag module.

According to a notice [PDF] filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the airbag modules do not comply with advanced airbag requirements in the U.S. Instead, the devices were designed to South American specifications.

“The incorrect passenger frontal airbag module does not comply with the advanced airbag requirements that came into effect for the 2003 model year, which could increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash,” Honda says in a filing with NHTSA.

Honda says the issue came to light in January 2015 when the carmaker received warranty claims that a previously issued Takata airbag recall could not be fixed because the vehicles contained the incorrect installation.

After launching another safety recall for Takata airbags in June 2015, Honda received an additional 24 warranty claims related to the incorrect airbags.

Last month, Honda completed an investigation, determined that non-compliance exists, and decided to issue yet another recall.

In all, 34 warranty claims have been filed, but no field reports or injuries related to this issue have been reported.

Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by mail and asked to take their vehicle to a Honda automobile dealer for inspection. If an incorrect passenger frontal airbag module is installed, the dealer will replace the airbag module. The repair will also satisfy the remedy to an open Takata passenger inflator recall, if applicable.

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