Older Honda, Acura Model Owners Told to Stop Driving Cars

Roughly a decade after Takata airbags began exploding inside cars and killing people, some vehicles are still hitting the road equipped with dangerous safety devices.

Honda recently warned older car owners to stop driving their vehicles until they get Takata airbags removed and replaced, Jalopnik reports. Owners of at least 8,200 Honda and Acura models from 2001-2003 have yet to get their defective vehicles fixed, according to the company.

Takata airbags have been linked to at least 27 deaths and hundreds of injuries worldwide.

The faulty airbags are at risk of rupturing during deployment, causing sharp metal fragments to be propelled at drivers and passengers and resulting in serious injury or death. The risk is particularly high in areas with high humidity and temperatures.

Some 100 million malfunctioning Takata airbags have been recalled around the world in the last 10 years. The recall is the largest by far on record in the U.S.

Takata eventually paid $1 billion to settle a Justice Department probe into claims that it failed to warn consumers of the problem. The company later filed for bankruptcy and was sold.

Honda’s announcement comes as the company is recalling roughly 1.4 million vehicles, including the Honda Civic, Accord, and Pilot models, that were originally sold or registered in the U.S. with Takata airbags. The recall covers vehicles built between 2001 and 2015, with the majority coming from the 2001-2003 model years.

The company said it would offer loaner cars to owners of recalled vehicles, as well as a free tow to the dealership if necessary.

This recall is part of a larger effort by automakers to replace all Takata airbags in vehicles in the United States following a series of deaths and injuries caused by the defective airbags. The recall is expected to continue through 2022, and more than 60 million vehicles in the United States alone are expected to be affected.

Stellantis earlier this year issued a similar warning to owners of certain older Dodge vehicles, telling them to stop driving the cars until the airbags are replaced. The move came after at least two people were recently killed in separate crashes in which drivers’ side airbags exploded.

Legal Rights for California Car Owners

There is some good news for car owners in California: You have some important rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.

The law requires automakers to perform a variety of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also requires the companies to buy back or replace cars that they cannot or simply refuse to fix. That includes covering the car’s purchase price, as well as financing fees, rental car costs and other related expenses.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.