Takata to present restructuring, recall cost plans to carmakers in May

Honda plans to replace all of these recalled inflators with new parts from an alternative supplier. At least two injuries are attributed to the defect.

The recall is unrelated to a separate one involving airbags made by Takata Corp.

Honda said late Wednesday is recalling 341,000 2008-10 Accord cars to replace the control units.

Moisture can get into the control units, causing the airbags to not deploy in a crash, Honda said. This new recall action makes a total of approximately 8.51 million Honda and Acura vehicles subject to replacement of a Takata driver and/or passenger front airbag inflator in the United States. As a result, air bags can fail to deploy in a crash or inadvertently fire. The explosive, which has a volatile compound called ammonium nitrate, can decay overtime and explode with excessive force, sending metal shrapnel at high speeds through the air bag and into the cabin of the vehicle.

The widely publicised Takata airbag recall is set to widen with Continental Automotive Systems (CAS) today revealing that one of its airbag control units may be defective.

M – More specifics of Takata’s January 22 airbag recall expansion became known this week as Honda detailed what could be the biggest group of cars involved. About 24 million US vehicles are being recalled for that problem.

In the statement, Honda said it has received no reports of a ruptured “PSDI-5” inflator in any Honda or Acura vehicle worldwide.

Last year, Honda reported two malfunctions in crashes involving 2008 Accords, and US safety regulators began investigating, according to the documents.

Most of the recalls have not yet been carried out.

The company will notify owners about the problem, but fix parts won’t be available until fall. CEO Shigehisa Takada, grandson of the company’s founder, may be forced to resign as the amount of money needed to carry out the recalls continues to rise, recent reports have said.

This is the latest massive recall related to airbag problems. Honda also warned dealers that that they will be liable for any unrepaired cars they sell to the general public – a matter of federal law that applies to official dealerships but not used-car stores. Until the vehicles are identified, customers won’t be able to use Honda’s and NHTSA’s online databases to check their vehicle identification numbers for the recall.

If the Japanese transport ministry follows in the footsteps of US authorities, more cars fitted with Takata air bags may be recalled in Japan as well.