Over 750,000 cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks are being recalled by Honda due to a flaw that prevents air bags from deploying when they should not.Models from the 2020–2022 model years of the Acura MDX, RDX, and TLX, as well as the Honda Civic, Accord, CR–V, Fit, HR–V, Insight, Odyssey, Pilot, Passport, and Ridgeline are included in the recall.The 2020 Fit and Civic Coupe, as well as some models of the Honda Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, and Odyssey from the 2020 through 2022 model years, are included in the recall.
Honda is the owner of Acura.According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the defect may cause frontal and knee air bags to deploy in a collision when they shouldn’t. According to the agency, it may injure kids, babies in car seats, and people under 4 feet 11 inches.According to a report released by the NHTSA on Monday, the specific defect is that “a capacitor in the printed circuit board of the front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and lead to an internal short circuit from the exposure to environmental humidity.”
According to the agency, the circuit board issue started when a supplier changed the board’s base material due to a natural disaster.As of January 19, Honda had received no reports of fatalities or injuries associated with the issue.
The specific vehicles affected are:
- 2020-2022 Honda Accord
- 2020-2021 Honda Accord Hybrid
- 2020 Honda Civic 2-door
- 2020-2022 Honda Civic 4-door
- 2021-2022 Honda Civic hatchback
- 2021 Honda Civic Type R
- 2020-2021 Honda CR-V
- 2020-2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid
- 2020 Honda Fit
- 2020-2022 Honda HR-V
- 2021 Honda Insight
- 2020-2022 Honda Odyssey
- 2020-2022 Honda Pilot
- 2020-2021 Honda Passport
- 2020-2021 Honda Ridgeline
- 2020 Acura MDX
- 2022 Acura MDX
- 2020-2022 Acura RDX
- 2020-2021 Acura TLX
On March 18, affected owners should begin receiving notifications. They can then take their cars to a Honda or Acura dealer to have the defective part replaced. According to the NHTSA, the defect is probably present in just 1% of the 750,000 recalled cars.In 2023, Honda issued a recall for millions of cars due to a number of problems, including a fuel pump defect, a seat belt component missing, a manufacturing error in the engine crankshaft, a side-view mirror issue, and another seat belt issue.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may break and short circuit, failing to deactivate the air bag as intended, according to documents released by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday. If there are kids or small adults seated in the seats, the sensors must turn off the air bags. The chance of injury rises if that doesn’t occur.Owners won’t pay for the dealers’ replacement of the seat sensors. Notification to owners will begin on March 18.
According to documents from Honda, between June 30, 2020, and January 19, this year, there were 3,834 warranty claims, but there were no reports of injuries or fatalities related to the issue.Toyota issued a warning last week regarding 50,000 American cars that require emergency repairs due to a potentially explosive air bag inflator. BMW released a recall last year due to potential hazards related to air bags. Both have to do with the widespread Takata air bag recall that affects cars manufactured as early as the 2000s, 67 million air bags, and at least 19 vehicle manufacturers.
Separately, a sensor issue in the front passenger seat led to an improper deployment of the air bag, which prompted Toyota to recall one million Toyota and Lexus vehicles in December.Due to defective Occupant Classification System sensors, which prevent air bags from deploying if a small adult or child is seated in the front seat, Toyota issued a recall for approximately one million cars from the 2020 to 2022 model years in December. The company intends to notify customers by mid-February, and dealers will inspect and replace the sensors at no cost to the owners.