How does the Honda air-bag recall affect San Antonio drivers?

Honda announced this week that it is adding 437,000 vehicles to its 15-month-old recall for faulty airbags. Almost one million vehicles are now affected by the recall.

Honda originally announced the recall to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in November 2008. It includes certain 2001 and 2002 Honda Accord sedans, Civic compacts, Odyssey minivans, CR-V small sport utility vehicles and some 2002 Acura TL sedans.

The driver’s side airbag in these vehicles can deploy with too much pressure. This can cause the airbag to rupture and injure the driver. One death and 11 injuries have been linked to this problem.

The airbag-related death occurred in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Eighteen-year-old Ashley Parham collided with another car in her high school parking lot. When the airbag of her 2001 Honda Accord deployed, shard of metal exploded from the airbag mechanism. The pieces of metal penetrated her neck and caused a fatal injury. Ms. Parham would have otherwise survived the accident.

The air bag inflators are made by the Honda supplier, Takata Corporation, a company based in Tokyto. The problem was traced to a stamping machine that sometimes used insufficient pressure to make the inflators. Honda decided to recall all vehicles that use the compressed inflator propellant made by that machine.

Honda will replace the driver’s side air bag inflator in the recalled car. The new recall affects 378,000 cars in the United States, 41,000 Canadian vehicles and 17,000 cars elsewhere in the world. To learn if your vehicle is affected by the recall, go to the Honda website or call your south Texas Honda dealer. Honda will also send notices to owners of affected vehicles.

Last month, Honda recalled 646,000 Fit hatchbacks because of a defect that may cause water to enter the power window mechanism causing components to overheat.

Honda is not the only vehicle with recalls. Toyota has recalled over 8.5 million vehicles in a series of recalls since November 2009. These recalls have been linked to more than 34 American deaths and 22 injuries.

Have you been injured in a south Texas car crash caused by a possible defect in your vehicle? If so, you have rights. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, property damage and punitive damages. To learn more, contact the Cowen Law Group and schedule a free consultation. Our offices are conveniently located in Brownsville, San Antonio, McAllen, and Rio Grande City. If you have been injured in an accident, request our free book: The Insider’s Guide to Texas Car Accident Cases.