Honda Confirms Another Fatal Takata Crash, This Time In Malaysia

Honda has confirmed a fatal crash that occurred earlier this week in Malaysia was caused by a faulty Takata airbag inflator.

On Wednesday, the driver of a 2004 Honda City was killed in Kuala Lumpur, Reuters reports. This is believed to be the 23rd death worldwide linked to the airbag inflator that can spew metal fragments when deployed.

Of these, 19 fatalities have occurred in Honda vehicles, 13 of which happened in the United States, five in Malaysia and one in Australia.

According to the Japanese automaker, the City involved in this latest crash had been recalled in 2015 but was never repaired.

In September 2017, it emerged that Honda had agreed to a $605 million settlement to cover a number of claims, including allegations that the company had “inaccurately represented” vehicles as safe. Additionally, owners are being compensated for out-of-pocket costs including lost wages.

Honda’s Takata settlement is by far the largest of any individual carmaker. By comparison, BMW, Mazda, Subaru, and Toyota reached a combined $553 million settlement with the United States government in May last year.

Approximately 11.4 million Honda vehicles in the United States are currently under recall, while a further 5.1 million are expected to be recalled at a later date.