Honda Front Passenger Airbag Problems Impact 750,000 Recalled Vehicles

American Honda Motor Co. has issued a massive Acura and Honda recall, impacting more than 750,000 vehicles due to a faulty airbag sensor.

The U.S. National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Honda and Acura recall on February 5, warning that the vehicles are equipped with a defective sensor on the front passenger side, which could cause airbags to deploy despite the presence of lighter weight individuals, such as children, which could increase the risk of severe injuries in a crash.

The recall stems from an investigation that began several years ago, following consumer complaints involving issues with the front passenger seat airbag problems in specific Honda and Acura vehicles. Despite no reported accidents or injuries associated with the recall, Honda and Acura have received at least 3,834 warranty claims related to the problem.

Honda and Acura Airbag Sensor Recall

Honda first became aware of the problem in August 2020, following a warranty claim. However, the manufacturer claims it could not find any manufacturing defects at the time.

In October 2023, Honda received multiple warranty claims regarding the issue and continued to investigate. This month, Honda discovered that the defect was related to the front passenger seat airbag sensor and issued the recall.

Honda indicate that the issues stem from a natural disaster at the manufacturing plant, which caused a temporary change in the base material for a printed circuit board was used for the airbag sensor. Consequently, when exposed to environmental humidity, the capacitor may crack or short circuit while in use. In the event of a crash, the airbags may still deploy despite the weight of the occupant, posing a potential serious injury risk for smaller occupants in the front passenger seat.

The Honda and Acura recall impacts an estimated 750,144 vehicles with production dates ranging from April 25, 2019 through January 7, 2022, including:

• 2020 through 2022 Honda Accord
• 2020 through 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid
• 2020 Honda Civic 2D
• 2020 through 2022 Honda Civic 4D
• 2021 through 2022 Honda Civic 5D
• 2021 Honda Civic Type R
• 2020 through 2021 Honda CR-V
• 2020 through 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid
• 2020 Honda Fit
• 2020 through 2022 Honda HR-V
• 2021 Honda Insight
• 2020 through 2022 Honda Odyssey
• 2020 through 2022 Honda Pilot
• 2020 through 2021 Honda Passport
• 2020 through 2021 Honda Ridgeline
• 2020 Acura MDX
• 2022 Acura MDX
• 2020 through 2022 Acura RDX
• 2020 through 2021 Acura TLX

Honda expects recall notification letters to be mailed to registered owners by March 18, with instructions on how to schedule an appointment with an authorized Honda or Acura dealer to receive free vehicle inspections and have the seat weight sensor replaced with a non-defective part, free of charge.

For more information on the recall, owners may contact Honda customer service by phone at 1-888-234-2138 and reference recall XHP and VHQ. They may also contact the NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline by phone at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or visit their website at www.nhtsa.gov.