Honda CR-V Recall Issued Due To Risk Airbags May Suddenly Deploy

Nearly 140,000 Honda CR-V SUV’s from the 2019 model year have been recalled, following reports that the driver’s air bag unexpectedly deployed while the vehicle was in motion, increasing the risk of an accident or injury for occupants.

The Honda CR-V recall was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 22, following six customer reports indicating the driver’s steering wheel airbag unexpectedly deployed, resulting in at least three confirmed injuries.

Information about the potential Honda CR-V airbag problems was first discovered by the Japanese automaker in January 2019, when a short-circuiting event in the steering wheel sub-harness was recorded during manufacturer testing. Honda and its parts supplier opened an investigation and discovered a misrouted cable reel sub-harness could sustain damage from burrs in the steering wheel core.

Honda initiated a quality control measure and modified the steering wheel core trim tool to eliminate the potential burning and short-circuiting events in late January. Subsequently, the automaker received its first and second customer complaints of spontaneous steering wheel air bag deployments.

By May 14, the automaker had received a total of six reports involving sudden air bag deployments in Honda CR-V vehicles, as well as 41 warranty claims, 20 field reports and three customer injuries related to the air bag defect. Honda’s analysis team determined a safety defect was present within the vehicles and decided to issue a recall.

The NHTSA recall investigation warns that if the metal core of the steering wheel experiences burns from a short-circuit, it may cause damage to the wiring harness connected to the steering wheel air bag. If this happens the air bag may either suddenly deploy, or disable the air bag from deploying in the event of a crash.

The recall includes 137,000 model year 2019 Honda CR-V SUV’s manufactured by American Honda Motor Company from October 3, 2018 through April 1, 2019. Approximately 118,598 of the vehicles were distributed throughout the United States to licensed Honda dealers, while roughly another 19,000 were distributed to Canada and Korea.

Honda indicates it will begin notifying owners of the defect with instructions on how to schedule a free repair at a local dealer, where dealers will be instructed to install a protective cover on the steering wheel core and replace the wiring harness. The recall is expected to begin on July 8 when replacement parts become available.

Customers with additional questions or concerns regarding the recall may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-21387 and reference the recall campaign number R4S.