8,200 Hondas, Acuras Issued ‘Do Not Drive’ Warning for Takata Airbag Inflators
Some of the oldest airbag inflators in the long-running Takata airbag crisis have been upgraded to “do not drive” status following a warning issued by Honda. The so-called “alpha” inflators, all installed in early-2000s vehicles from Honda and its Acura luxury brand, have been responsible for a majority of the U.S. deaths linked to Takata inflators.
Related: More Takata Airbag News
Included in the warning are some 8,200 examples of Honda’s model-year 2001-02 Accord and Civic cars, model-year 2002 CR-V SUV and Odyssey minivan, model-year 2003 Pilot SUV, and Acura’s model-year 2002-03 Acura 3.2 TL and model-year 2003 3.2 CL sedans. The warning concerns driver-side airbag inflators, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says have a 50% failure rate. If the inflators rupture, metal shrapnel can be ejected toward the driver, causing injuries that could be fatal.
The upgraded warning is different from similar orders issued by other automakers since Honda is using it to service the remaining number of vehicles that still have yet to receive the required repairs. NHTSA says Honda has serviced or accounted for more than 99% of the faulty inflators in the existing repair campaign.
NHTSA urges owners to check if their vehicle is impacted by the recall and the newly instituted “do not drive” warning. If it is, they need to contact their local dealer and have the inflator replaced with a redesigned one for free. Honda will also offer free towing or mobile repair and will even provide customers a free loaner or rental vehicle if needed. Owners who prefer to speak with Honda directly can call the automaker at 888-234-2138 or visit Honda’s dedicated Takata website to check their vehicle identification number and learn more. Owners can also check for the recall through NHTSA’s Recalls Lookup Tool and SaferCar app.
More From Cars.com:
- NHTSA’s Latest Takata Recall Is the Largest Ever
- Takata Airbag Recall Ensnares Stellantis, ‘Do Not Drive’ Warning Issued for 276,000 Vehicles
- Feds Confirm Fourth Takata-Related Fatality of 2022
- Is Your Car Part of the Takata Airbag Recall?
- Recall Basics: Everything You Need to Know
Related Video:
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
