An recent investigation into side curtain airbags not deploying properly in some Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Accura, and Subaru vehicles has the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerned about how wide spread the problem could be. The investigation started after Swedish automobile parts manufacturer, Autoliv, reported that one of their airbags failed to deploy under cold weather conditions as a result of the wrong mixture of inflation gasses being used. The company also manufactures airbags for General Motors and Ford, but say that a different design is used. Approximately 11,000 of the potentially defective parts have been shipped to various manufacturers, and concerns over the problem has already lead to the recall of several vehicle models. The recall includes:

Honda is recalling certain 2012 Honda Pilot and 2012 Acura MDX vehicles for fuel leaks that could increase the risk of fire. According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the vent shut float (VSF) valve case in the fuel tank was not manufactured to the proper specification. Honda will inspect the VSF assembly date and will replace the fuel tank assembly accordingly. The recall is expected to affect almost 9,000 vehicles. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Honda customer services at 1-800-999-1009.

A Georgia woman is lucky to be alive after suffering a potentially fatal neck wound from a chunk of metal from an airbag deployment in her 2001 Honda Civic. Kristy Williams wounds are similar to injuries sustained by a teenager in Oklahoma and a mom in Virginia who were not as lucky when their airbags deployed with a deadly force. Medical reports show all three women sustained similar injuries and all women drove 2001 Honda vehicles.

Honda’s first airbag recall came in November 2008, and has been expanded four times to cover 2.5 million vehicles. The recall, however, stops at the 2003 models even though regulators have received 127 complaints about Honda and Acura models over the last 10 model years whose airbag went off with no crash. In Williams case, the surprise deployment was linked to an improper repair after an airbag replacement done to the vehicle before she bought it.

A recent recall on certain 2012 Honda Accord and Crosstour vehicles has been expanded to include an additional 627 vehicles. The recall is over driver and passenger side curtain airbag inflators that were not manufactured according to manufacturers specifications. In the event of an accident, the side curtain airbags may fail to deploy, leaving the occupants unprotected. Honda will inspect and replace the driver’s and passenger’s side curtain airbags as required. Owners wanting more information on the problem can contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. The vehicles included in the recall include:

Despite a recall in 2004 and a class action settlement in 2006, Honda and Acura drivers continue to have problems with their automatic transmissions. Over 3,000 complaints have been filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the last two years, with a spike in complaints in the last six months.

The 2004 recall covered the 2003-2004 Honda Accord, 2002–2003 Honda Odyssey, 2003-2004 Honda Pilot, 2000-2001 Acura MDX, 1999-2003 Acura 3.2 TL and 2001-2002 Acura 3.2 CL. The class-action suit that was settled in 2006 claimed that Honda had misled consumers by selling them vehicles with defective transmissions. Honda denied those claims but settled the case without admitting a defect. Owners got their vehicles repaired, or received an extension on their transmission warranties. But now owners continue to have complaints because they continue to experience problems, even after the extended warranties are up. While 2003 model vehicles seem to experience the most problems, complaints have been noted in:

  • 2003-2004 Honda Accord
  • 2002-2007 Honda Odyssey
  • 2002-2008 Honda Civic
  • 2003-2004 Honda Pilot
  • 2000-2002 Acura MDX
  • 1999-2004 Acura 3.2 TL
  • 2001–2003 Acura 3.2 CL

If you have had repeated substantial problems, and if your vehicle is still not repaired, you should call 1-888-EX-LEMON for a free consultation with one of our experts to learn whether your vehicle qualifies or, if not, whether there are other legal alternatives.

If you are in California call our Lemon Law Offices:

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  • California Lemon Law in San Fernando Valley: 818-837-0500

Acura will be recalling almost 170,000 entry level TSX models from 2004-2008 in the United States with the 2.4L inline 4-cylinder engine. The recall is due to the premature deterioration of the power steering hose from prolonged exposure to high temperatures in the engine compartment. The hose could crack allowing power steering fluid to spray on hot engine parts which could lead to a fire. Acura has received one complaint which resulting in a fire.

Owners of affected vehicles will be informed by mail starting at the end of May. In addition, TSX owners can go to owners.acura.com/recalls or may call (800) 382-2238 for more information.

Honda will be recalling approximately 1,850 2010 Acura ZDX vehicles for passenger side airbags. While no incidents have been reported, a manufacturing quality check revealed that some vehicles do not have the necessary laser-cut scoring on the underside of the dashboard surface material to allow the airbag to deploy properly. A simple visual check of the dashboard will be carried out, and if the vehicle does not have the proper scoring, it will be replaced.

Owners of affected vehicles will be informed by mail later this month. In addition, ZDX owners can go to http://owners.acura.com/recalls or may call (800) 382-2238 for more information.

In November of 2008 and June 2009 Japan’s number two automaker, Honda, recalled a total of 510,00 vehicles for an airbag inflator. This week the recall has been expanded to include another 428,000 vehicles.

The driver’s airbag inflators in these vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which can cause the inflator casing to rupture resulting in injury or fatality. The airbag defect has been linked to one fatality and eleven injuries in the United States. There have been no other reports, Honda said. All cars to be recalled globally are made at Honda’s U.S. and Canadian plants.

The latest recall applies to:

Owners of these vehicles will receive notification through the mail or can go to http://owners.honda.com/recalls or call (800) 999-1009; Acura owners can go to http://owners.acura.com/recalls or call (800) 382-2238.