March 28, 2017—Hundreds of thousands of residents in Southern California are driving recalled vehicles with defective airbag inflators that could blast shrapnel into the passenger compartment upon deployment, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). In response, civic and community leaders are joining together to encourage drivers to get a free repair.
The recall affects as many as 42 million vehicles and 19 different automakers. The airbag inflators in certain 2001-2003 Hondas and Acuras pose the most urgent threat.
According to the DOT, “with as high as 50 percent chance of dangerous air bag inflator rupture in a crash, these vehicles are unsafe and need to be repaired immediately.” Any Honda or Acura dealership will provide free towing service to the dealership to perform the free repair.
As part of an ongoing effort to address this recall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a new repair prioritization plan on Dec. 9, 2016, to accelerate the availability of replacement parts for vehicles impact by the recall.
