July 5, 2016
Certain Honda and Acura models pose risk of death
Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt alerts consumers about the substantial risk of death related to a recent Takata airbag recall. In April, Nevadans were encouraged to verify whether their vehicles are affected by the national recall. Since then, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has upgraded the risk of Takata airbags in certain Honda and Acura vehicles. Those in possession of these vehicles are encouraged to immediately stop operating their vehicles and contact a nearby Honda dealership for a free repair.
Higher-risk inflators in Honda and Acura vehicles include:
- 2001-2002 Honda Civic
- 2001-2002 Honda Accord
- 2002-2003 Acura TL
- 2002 Honda CR-V
- 2002 Honda Odyssey
- 2003 Acura CL
- 2003 Honda Pilot
“More than 300,000 higher-risk Honda vehicles possessing this dangerous defect remain unrepaired, and nearly 70 million Takata air bag inflators are or will be under recall by 2019, in the largest and most complex auto safety recall in U.S. history,” said Laxalt. “This is an important safety issue that all consumers must be aware of, and I urge Nevadans to verify whether their vehicles have been affected by this national recall.”
The air bag inflators in these particular vehicles contain a manufacturing defect that greatly increases the potential for dangerous ruptures. Testing of these inflators show rupture rates as high as 50 percent in a laboratory setting. Inflator ruptures are far more likely in vehicles that spent significant periods of time in areas with high temperatures or humidity.
Affected drivers should immediately contact their nearest dealer to schedule a no-cost immediate repair. Replacement parts for these vehicles are immediately available. NHTSA has ordered Takata to perform additional ballistic testing following recent reports of ruptures. Eight of the 10 confirmed U.S. fatalities due to Takata ruptures — including the most recent in Fort Bend County, Texas — were in this population of vehicles.
All consumers are encouraged to visit SaferCar.gov to verify whether their vehicle has been affected by a Takata recall. The affected brands include Acura, Audi, MBW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks (North America 9Sterling Bullet), Daimler Vans USA LLC (Sprinter), Dodge/Ram, Ford, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen.
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