Honda has issued a recall for 66,846 vehicles in Canada due to possible complications with airbag sensors in front passenger seats.
Weight sensors are integrated into the seat structure of most cars to ensure that airbags only deploy for adults. However, Honda’s recall notice issued Tuesday warns that issues with the sensor may cause frontal and knee airbags to deploy even when an adult isn’t seated, posing a risk of injury to children and infants.
The recall involves the Honda Accord, Civic, CR-V, Fit, HR-V, Insight, Odyssey, Pilot, Passport and Ridgeline, as well as the Acura MDX, RDX and TLX. The model years are between 2020 and 2022.
Honda says the problem arose after its Tier 1 supplier temporarily changed the base material in the printed circuit board of the vehicle’s seat sensors after a “natural disaster” at its Tier 2 supplier’s manufacturing plant.
The temporary base material was not sufficiently verified for its intended use, “allowing for additional strain on the printed circuit board that can lead to a “capacitor cracking and an internal short circuit,” Honda explained.
In the event of a crash, a short circuit could cause airbags to deploy despite the lack of an adult passenger.
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Honda says it estimates that one per cent of the recalled vehicles are defective. Owners of affected vehicles are advised to monitor the passenger airbag indicator, which could remain off in the event of a short circuit. The SRS warning light will also illuminate if there is an issue with the airbags, Honda says.
The automaker says it notified dealers of the issue on Feb. 2. Vehicle owners will be contacted by mail starting in March and asked to monitor the SRS warning light. If the light is on, owners will be asked to take their vehicle to an authorized Honda or Acura dealer.
Honda says owners may be eligible for reimbursement if they pay for these repairs at their own expense, but there are “very low quantities” of service parts.
Honda vehicle owners can check if their model has been affected by visiting www.Acura.ca/recalls or www.Honda.ca/recalls or by calling 1-888-946-6329.
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