NHTSA Confirms 11th Death Tied To Takata Airbags

On 2016-11-07 12:38:49

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed a crash fatality in Riverside County, California, is tied to a rupture of a recalled Takata air bag inflator. The victim died after sustaining injuries in a crash on Friday, Sept. 30.  The victim was driving a 2001 Honda Civic first recalled in 2008. Records show that the recall repair was never completed.  The vehicle is included in a population of Honda and Acura vehicles which has been identified by NHTSA as having a substantially higher risk.  The air bag inflators in these vehicles contain a manufacturing defect which greatly increases the potential for dangerous rupture when a crash causes the air bag to deploy. Ruptures are far more likely in inflators in vehicles that have spent significant periods of time in areas of high absolute humidity — particularly Florida, Texas, parts of the Gulf Coast, and Southern California. Testing of the inflators from these vehicles show rupture rates as high as 50%.

The higher-risk inflators are in the following 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles:

    2001-2002 Honda Civic
    2001-2002 Honda Accord
    2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL
    2002 Honda CR-V
    2002 Honda Odyssey
    2003 Acura 3.2CL
    2003 Honda Pilot

The Department of Transportation continues to ask for the news media and public’s assistance to find the remaining unrepaired vehicles. Drivers of these vehicles should immediately visit SaferCar.gov to check whether their vehicle has any outstanding safety recalls. Those that do should contact their nearest dealer to schedule a no-cost immediate repair. Replacement parts for these vehicles are available immediately.