Honda has confirmed the 17th U.S. death related to a faulty airbag inflator made by Japanese safety products supplier Takata (now bankrupt).
After an investigation alongside the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the carmaker confirmed that the faulty inflator was indeed to blame for the August 20 crash of a 2002 Honda Civic, resulting in the death of a driver in Mesa, AZ.
This is of course the same issue that led to the largest automotive recall in U.S. history, and has already been tied to 15 U.S. deaths involving Honda vehicles, as well as two Ford models since 2009, as reported by Autonews Europe.
Related: Honda To Pay $85 Million To Settle Takata Airbag Probe In The U.S.
There have been over 290 injuries related to the same problem, and at least 26 deaths worldwide. This defect can cause airbag inflators to rupture, sending metal fragments flying inside the cabin.
Honda began recalling 2002 Civic models all the way back in December of 2011 due to this issue. They started off by replacing the driver’s frontal airbag inflator, while the passenger’s frontal airbag inflator was recalled in 2014. The company sent out more than 15 mailed recall notices over eight years to registered owners, yet the latest driver killed in the U.S. was not registered. Honda stated that it was not certain if the driver was aware of the recalls.
A 2002 Civic was also involved in the death of a driver in June of 2018 in Buckeye, AZ.
According to the NHTSA, the cause of these inflator explosions the the fact that the propellant breaks down after long-term exposure to high temperature fluctuations and humidity.
