STATEMENT BY AMERICAN HONDA REGARDING EXPANSION OF NATIONAL SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN

March 19, 2015 by Honda

• 2008 Pilot and certain 2001 Accord and 2004 Civic vehicles added under new NHTSA campaign number 15V-153

Mar 19, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. -- Honda will voluntarily expand its December 2014 national Safety Improvement Campaign (NHTSA No. 14V-351) affecting certain 2001 through 2011 Honda and Acura vehicles in the United States to include 88,549 Pilot vehicles from the 2008 model year, 10,868 specific 2004 Civic vehicles and 5,454 specific 2001 Accord vehicles. While certain 2001 Accord and 2004 Civic vehicles were previously included in 14V-351, no 2008 Pilot models were included before this addition. Honda has not received any claims of airbag inflator rupture in 2008 Pilot models. Since this expansion of the national Safety Improvement Campaign is taking place in a new year, it will be identified separately by the NHTSA as No. 15V-153, but the same repair, replacement of the driver front airbag inflator, free of charge, will apply to these additional vehicles nationwide. With this expansion, a total of approximately 5.5 million vehicles will be covered by 14V-351 and 15V-153 combined.

Honda is committed to identifying and repairing every Honda and Acura vehicle affected by this issue. The company identified the 2008 Pilot and additional 2001 Accord and 2004 Civic vehicles as being affected by the national Safety Improvement Campaign through a process of confirming, on a vehicle by vehicle basis, which 2001 model year and later Honda and Acura vehicles were originally equipped with affected Takata airbag inflators. Honda recently identified these additional vehicles and quickly notified the NHTSA of its intention to add them to the Safety Improvement Campaign.

Background:

As part of an ongoing industry investigation, Honda has been working in cooperation with Takata, the supplier of the airbag inflators, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remove and test front airbag inflators installed in certain Honda and Acura vehicles initially in 11 U.S. states and territories (Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands) and subsequently on a nationwide basis. Honda has been participating in this investigation because of an apparent correlation between the long term exposure to high absolute humidity, which is common in most of those states and territories, and the possibility that a front airbag inflator produced by Takata could produce excessive internal pressure upon deployment and then rupture (break apart). If a front airbag inflator ruptures, metal fragments could pass through the airbag cushion material and hit vehicle occupants. Past ruptures have killed or injured vehicle occupants.

Neither Honda nor Takata has made a determination that a safety defect exists in the driver front airbag inflators that are installed in vehicles included in 14V-351 or 15V-153. Honda hopes these actions will both address customer concerns and further assist in the ongoing industry investigation of abnormal airbag deployments in the vehicles from all affected manufacturers.

Honda is announcing this action today to encourage owners to take their vehicles to an authorized Honda or Acura dealer for repair. Mailed notification to customers in the original regional Safety Improvement Campaign (14V-351) began in September 2014, and additional mailed notification letters including vehicles now included in this new action will be sent to registered owners over time, prioritized by geographic area in the order of highest perceived risk. The most-updated available consumer information about this action is obtainable at www.recalls.honda.com and www.recalls.acura.com or by calling (800) 999-1009 for Honda owners or (800) 382-2238 for Acura owners, and selecting option 4.

Summary of Affected Models in 14V-351 and 15V-153* (Certain specific vehicles only):

◾2001-2007 Honda Accord with 4-cylinder engines

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◾2001-2002 Honda Accord with V6 engines

◾2001-2005 Honda Civic

◾2002-2006 Honda CR-V

◾2003-2011 Honda Element

◾2002-2004 Honda Odyssey

◾2003-2008 Honda Pilot*

◾2006 Honda Ridgeline

◾2003-2006 Acura MDX

◾2002-2003 Acura TL

◾2003 Acura CL

*Only 2008 Pilot and certain 2001 Accord and 2004 Civic models are included in 15V-153, but the same repair will be applied to all affected vehicles.