The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·20V027000·Announced 2020-01-17

Honda Recalls Vehicles for Driver Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk

Honda is recalling specific 2000-2003 Acura and Honda vehicles because replacement driver air bag inflators may rupture or underinflate in a crash, increasing injury risk.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect increases the risk of serious injury or death due to metal fragments from inflator rupture, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' or structural vehicle defects involving life-safety systems.

Plain-English summary

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2000-2003 Acura and Honda vehicles, including the Acura 3.2CL, 3.5RL, 3.2TL, MDX, Honda CR-V, Odyssey, Accord, and Civic. The recall affects vehicles that may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module during a previous repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, these replacement NADI inflators may absorb moisture, which can cause the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

In the event of a crash requiring air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. Additionally, an underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles. If necessary, dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began on October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
ACURA, HONDA MDX, CL, ODYSSEY, RL
Brand
ACURA
Manufacturer
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag / Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
875,966

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (8)

  • MDX
  • CL
  • ODYSSEY
  • RL
  • CR-V
  • CIVIC
  • TL
  • ACCORD

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same brand · ACURA

Same manufacturer · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

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Same hazard · air bag rupture

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