Takata Airbag Inflator Recall Fact Sheet
January 5, 2016 - This document provides customers and other stakeholders with current, factual information on the Takata airbag inflator recall as it pertains to Honda and Acura in the United States. Unless otherwise noted, all information concerns the U.S. market only.

Table of Contents

    •    Section 1: Total Vehicles Recalled
    •    Section 2: Injuries & Deaths
    •    Section 3: Dealer Repair & Rental Policy, and Support
    •    Section 4: Recall Repair Completion Rate
    •    Section 5: Parts Supply Outlook
    •    Section 6: Ongoing Customer Notification Tactics
    •    Section 7: Summary of Affected Honda & Acura Models

Total Vehicles Recalled

Approximately 6.28 million Honda and Acura vehicles in the U.S. are subject to a recall or Safety Improvement Campaign related to Takata airbag inflator ruptures. Because certain, specific vehicles are subject to more than one recall (for example, both a driver and passenger airbag inflator recall) approximately 10 million total Takata airbag inflators have been recalled.

Injuries & Deaths

Honda has confirmed eight deaths and more than 90 injuries in the U.S. related to ruptures of driver's front airbag inflators supplied by Takata. All of these events occurred in vehicles now covered by recalls and/or campaigns. Honda sincerely apologizes to all individuals impacted by this issue, and extends our deepest, heartfelt sympathies to the families of those who have lost loved ones.

Date of Crash	Location of Crash
5/27/09	Oklahoma
12/24/09	Virginia
9/3/13	California
9/7/14	California
9/29/14	Florida
1/18/15	Texas
4/5/15	Louisiana
7/22/15	Pennsylvania

 
Outside the U.S., Honda has confirmed one death in Malaysia related to the rupture of a single-stage Takata driver's front airbag inflator, which is a different type of inflator that was never utilized in Honda or Acura vehicles in the U.S.

Dealer Repair & Rental Policy, and Support

Authorized Honda and Acura dealerships will make appropriate repairs at no charge to the customer. If an owner requests alternative transportation while awaiting repair, while the repair is in progress, or if there is a delay in repairing an affected vehicle, Honda and Acura dealers are authorized to provide a free loaner or rental vehicle.

Honda has made changes to corporate policies concerning loaner and rental vehicles to ensure a seamless customer experience. For example, dealers may now loan vehicles to teenage drivers, who are generally prohibited from renting or borrowing vehicles due to insurance policies. Honda has also increased associated reimbursement rates to dealers, and empowered them to loan and rent vehicles to affected customers without seeking pre-approval from Honda.

To support dealers, Honda management and field operations staff are in constant communication with dealership principals and employees to ensure they are aware of the latest information and policies concerning the recall, and have the capacity to repair customer vehicles promptly.

To ensure compliance and customer care, mystery shoppers contact Honda and Acura dealerships in the U.S. monthly, on average, and report back to Honda management. Dealership principals and management are quickly made aware of any issues.

Recall Repair Completion Rate

In recent months, Honda and Acura dealers have replaced upwards of 24,000 Takata airbag inflators on a daily basis. This pace of repair is unprecedented in Honda's history. In total, more than 4 million Takata inflators have now been replaced. Considering the scale of the recall and the age of the vehicles involved, Honda is making steady progress.

Repair Completion Rate as of 1/5/16

National: 48.2%
High Absolute Humidity (HAH) Zone* 48%

To compare this completion rate with other industry recalls, Honda analyzed 14 unrelated automotive recall campaigns, with a combined volume of more than eight million vehicles. While Honda found completion rates of up to 80 percent for vehicles in the first year of ownership, the company also found that the completion percentage declines with each passing year, to around 33 percent in the 9th and 10th year of ownership. A significant number of vehicles affected by the Takata airbag inflator recalls are now or soon to be more than 15 years old.

On December 23, 2015 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials reported that the industry-wide Takata airbag inflator recall completion rates is 27.3 percent nationally and 34.3 percent in what it defines as the HAH zone.

Parts Supply Outlook

During the past year, Honda has worked to secure an increasing supply of replacement inflators from Daicel, Autoliv and TRW. We continue to expand the supply from these other suppliers, and in the foreseeable future, we will be able to replace recalled inflators using only inflators from these other suppliers.

Honda currently has sufficient supplies of replacement inflators - with no replacement inflators on back order for any affected vehicle - and is well positioned to manage incoming demand. These replacement inflators comply with third-party performance requirements and have been thoroughly tested to ensure their safe operation.

Ongoing Customer Notification Efforts

By the end of July, at least one mailed notification, and in many cases several, had been sent to each and every registered owner of affected Honda and Acura vehicles in the United States. We have supplemented mailed notifications with the following actions:

Centralized Web Resource

    •    Honda established a dedicated website (//hondaairbaginfo.com) for affected owners and stakeholders to view information, news and updates concerning the recall. A prominent display ad has been placed on Honda.com, directing visitors to the new site.

Phone Calls
    •    Honda has doubled the size of its Customer Relations team, which has made millions of direct and automated phone calls to affected owners. To encourage recall repair, the phone calls are direct and clear about the risk of injury and death associated with inflator ruptures.

    •    Phone calls have proven to be among the most effective means of driving recall repair completion, and it is now Honda's practice to use automated calls to alert customers in advance of mailed notifications.

    •    Honda implemented a text messaging pilot in December 2015, targeting affected vehicle owners in South Florida, to evaluate the effectiveness of notifying potentially affected customers via SMS and MMS messages.


Targeted Advertising - Call to Action

    •    In March 2015, Honda conducted a multi-million dollar advertising campaign in Spanish and English that included full-page, color advertisements in more than 120 newspapers, and 30-second radio announcements in more than 110 markets. The campaign targeted 9 southern states that have been identified as representing the greatest risk to affected owners.


    •    In October 2015, Honda ran a subsequent round of print, digital and radio advertising in select markets.


    •    Taking advantage of the online holiday shopping season, Honda initiated a targeted advertising campaign on November 25, 2015, ahead of the high internet traffic Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events. Amazon.com shoppers that registered Honda or Acura models affected by a recall in the "Your Garage" section of the Amazon store were displayed ads that urged them to check their VIN and, if necessary, schedule an immediate repair with an authorized dealer. These targeted ads were also visible to shoppers on a large number of other sites that feature Amazon.com advertising content. Honda estimates that more than one million potentially affected Honda and Acura vehicles are already registered to Amazon.com shoppers' accounts.

     

Model Year(s)	Model
2001-2007	Honda Accord
2001-2005	Honda Civic
2003-2005	Honda Civic Hybrid
2001-2004	Honda Civic GT (CNG)
2002-2006	Honda CR-V
2003-2011	Honda Element
2002-2004	Honda Odyssey
2003-2008	Honda Pilot
2006	Honda Ridgeline

***A Note to News Media Covering this Issue***

Many in the news media have joined us in urging the public to continuously check their vehicles for open recalls, and if necessary, take immediate action to complete the repair. We sincerely appreciate the support. We continue to encourage you to include the following information in your story, in addition to the list of affected Honda and Acura models listed above:
Honda continues to urge owners of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by the Takata airbag inflator recalls to get their vehicles repaired at an authorized dealership as soon as possible. The authorized dealership will make appropriate repairs at no charge to the customer. If there is a delay in repairing an affected vehicle, Honda and Acura dealers are authorized to provide a free loaner or rental vehicle until the recall repair can be completed. Honda and Acura owners can check their vehicles' recall status at www.recalls.honda.com and www.recalls.acura.com or by calling (888) 234-2138.