Last Thursday, October 29, Honda announced another airbag recall related to malfunctioning Takata airbags that can potentially rupture and shoot metal fragments into a driver. The recall affects 515 2016 Honda CR-V's. While absolutely tiny compared to the massive recall of over 19 million vehicles earlier in the year, it appears that the problem is again with the airbag manufacturer, Takata.
Who Makes the Product?
The CR-V is, of course, manufactured by Honda, while the faulty airbags were manufactured by Takata.
Which Products are Affected?
At this time it appears that only 515 Honda CR-Vs are affected.
How Widespread is the Problem
This is a tough one to answer. While the problem appears confined to a relatively small number of vehicles, it is not the first time that Honda has assured consumers that they have a handle on problem of faulty Takata airbags.
What Can Be Done About the Issue?
According to reports, Honda has already contacted by telephone those whose vehicles have been affected. However, if you are unsure and think that your vehicle may be affected, Honda asks that you call customer service at 1-800-999-1009 and use code JV9 in reference to this particular recall.
What Does This Mean?
It means that despite putting out over 19 million potentially deadly airbags on the road, Honda and Takata do not seem to have a firm grasp on the problem just yet. To be clear, not only do these airbags not inflate, but a design flaw makes it so they shoot deadly bits of metal at drivers in an accident. In effect, not only is the airbag not protecting you, it's acting like a mini-grenade going off during the accident. Luckily, there have been no reports of injuries from those affected by the latest recall. Unfortunately for those who have purchase these vehicles, Honda will not begin replacing the defective airbags until December 4th. Given the potentially fatal consequences of this airbag malfunction, it would be best not to tempt fate by driving the vehicle before it has been repaired.