Honda is recalling 561,422 vehicles due to a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.
The affected vehicles include the 2001-2003 Civic, 2002-2003 CR-V and the 2002 Odyssey. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts.
"A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants,"
said NHTSA in its summary of the problem.
The safety recall will begin on May 11 and dealers will inspect vehicles, and where a defective air bag inflator is identified, the inflator will be replaced, free of charge. Owners can call Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.
