General Motors (GM) is recalling 47,401 model year 2011 Cadillac SRX passenger vehicles for failing to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.” The airbags are programmed to turn off the right side roof-rail airbag if the passenger sensing system determines that the right front passenger seat is unoccupied. The right rear occupant may not be protected and suffer injuries in certain frontal and side crashes. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about June 17, 2011. 11V-308.

Honda is recalling 2,430 model year 2001-2002 Honda Accord, and Honda Civic 2-door and 4-door, model year 2002-2003 Honda CR-V, model year 2002 Honda Odyssey, model year 2003 Acura CL, and model year 2002-2003 Acura TL vehicles. This recall is related to a series of recalls on these vehicles in which Honda is replacing the inflators within the driver’s side air bag to address a defective condition.

This recall addresses approximately 2,430 air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts in the event. For example, a covered vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the driver’s air bag, and the replacement air bag installed was one that may have contained a defective inflator. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver’s air bag, the inflator could produce excessive internal pressure that could cause the inflator to rupture with metal fragments striking and injuring the driver or other occupants. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about June 27, 2011. 11V-260.

Toyota is recalling 307,848 model year 2008 Toyota Highlander, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and model year 2007-2008 Toyota RAV4 vehicles. In the Curtain Shield Airbag (CSA) system, there are two sensors in the airbag sensor assembly which are designed to detect vehicle roll angle. If one of these sensors malfunctions, the airbag warning light (Malfunction Indicator Light: MIL) will illuminate and the roll detection system will be suspended; however, the Curtain Shield Airbag remains available in the event of a side crash. If both sensors fail nearly simultaneously after initial airbag system check, the Curtain Shield Airbag and the seat belt pretensioner could be inadvertently activated. Inadvertent activation of the Curtain Shield Airbag and/or the seat belt pretensioner can cause injury to a vehicle occupant. Toyota intends to send an interim owner notification to owners early to mid-May, 2011 when sufficient parts and remedy becomes available.

The manufacturer of the airbag sensor assembly is Denso Corporation. Toyota first received a field technical report relating to this problem more than three years ago, in October 2007 that noted that the curtain shield airbag in a 2007 Toyota RAV4 had inadvertently deployed. Toyota’s investigation revealed a short circuit at the upper and lower electrodes in the two roll rate sensors for the curtain shield air bag caused by a leak path between the electrodes. Toyota then implemented a change to the sensors in January 2008. However, Toyota did not then recall the vehicles that had the old sensors, claiming that the risk was “very low”. However, Toyota continued to receive reports of unwanted air bag deployments, including some with injuries. Those deployments apparently contradicted Toyota’s earlier analysis and conclusions. Finally, after another report of an injury linked to this defect in March 2011, Toyota finally decided to conduct a safety recall to replace the air bag sensor. The NHTSA recall number is 11V-245.

Chrysler is recalling 367,350 model year 2008 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. These vehicles may experience a water leak at the heating and air conditioner (HVAC) drain grommet which can lead to illumination of airbag warning light and a potential inadvertent airbag deployment. An inadvertent airbag deployment could result in injury to the seat occupant in front of the deploying airbag and/or a vehicle crash. The safety recall is expected to begin during February 2010. 10V-611.

General Motors (GM) is recalling 95,927 model year 2005-2007 Cadillac CTS vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which repeated flexing of the passenger sensing system mat in the front passenger seat may cause the mat to kink, bend, or fold. This flexing can break the connections in the mat. If this occurs, the sensor may not detect the presence of a front seat passenger and will disable the air bag. Non-deployment of the front passenger air bag in the event of a crash necessitating that air bag’s deployment may reduce protection of the passenger and increase the risk or severity of injury to them. 10V-644.

Nissan is recalling 46 model year 2002 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 vehicles manufactured from August 24, 2001 through August 28, 2001. The air bag inflator contains propellant wafers that are required to properly deploy the front passenger air bag. Due to improper propellant wafer installation during the air bag inflator assembly process, some air bag inflators may be missing one of the wafers. As a result, the remaining wafers in the inflator used for the deployment of the front passenger air bag may, over time, break up into powder due to normal vibration experienced while driving. This causes the combustion rate of the propellant to increase inside the inflator, which can lead to internal pressure rising suddenly during air bag deployment. The inflator housing may rupture, causing an irregular deployment and some possibility of producing loose metal fragments, increasing a risk of injury to the front passenger. 10V-312.

Apparently, the quality control programs in place at the air bag supplier were not good enough to catch these defects during the air bag inflator manufacturing process.

Subaru is recalling 73,698 model year 2010 Subaru Outback and Subaru Legacy passenger vehicles manufactured from February 16, 2009 through April 12, 2010. The wiring in the steering column electrical roll connector located behind the vehicle’s steering wheel may develop stress cracks and eventually break. If this were to happen, certain electrical components may not operate as intended. Possible circuits affected are the driver’s frontal airbag, paddle shifter function, cruise control, horn control and radio functions, increasing the risk of a crash.

One interesting aspect of this air bag safety recall is that Subaru first received notification about this problem back on October 1, 2009, about 9 months before announcing this recall.  Apparently, internal grease within the steering wheel roll connector (sometimes called a clockspring) can chemically degrade the internal flat ribbon which is used to carry electrical current to several steering wheel-mounted devices, including the driver air bag.

The safety recall is expected to begin on or before July 1, 2010. 10V-283. Subaru has internally designated this recall with the number WVR-28.

Nissan is recalling 134,215 model year 2005 through 2007 Infiniti G35 sedans manufactured from March 29, 2004 through August 25, 2006 and Infiniti G35 coupes manufactured from April 1, 2004 through May 30, 2007. The wire harness connecting the Belt Tension Sensor (BTS) and the Occupant Detection Sensor (ODS) control unit under the front passenger seat can experience relative movement which can cause wear and oxidization of the terminals and may cause interruption of the signal. In the event of a crash, the airbag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury. 10V-175.

Nissan is recalling 134,215 model year 2005 through 2007 Infiniti G35 sedans manufactured from March 29, 2004 through August 25, 2006 and Infiniti G35 coupes manufactured from April 1, 2004 through May 30, 2007. The wire harness connecting the belt tension sensor (BTS) and the occupant detection sensor (ODS) control unit under the front passenger seat can experience relative movement which can cause wear and oxidization of the terminals and may cause interruption of the signal. In the event of a crash, the airbag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.  10V-175.

Honda is recalling 1,854 model year 2010 Acura ZDX passenger cars manufactured between November 12, 2009 and March 22, 2010. During the manufacturing process, the dashboard covering material may have not been properly laser scored to allow complete deployment of the front passenger’s SRS airbag. In the event of a crash, the airbag will not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about April 21, 2010. 10V-145.

Honda’s supplier informed Honda on March 24, 2010 of the fact that the dashboard covers were not properly scored during manufacturing. Then, about two weeks later, Honda determined that this was a safety defect and notified the government by letter dated April 9, 2010. The improperly manufactured dashboards (instrument panels) did not receive laser cuts on the underside of the cover at the passenger side air bag. Without those laser cuts, both the timing of the passenger air bag deployment and its force level are affected. The problem was so serious that Honda issued a “Stop Order” to its dealerships prohibiting from selling any of those vehicles until they are inspected and, if necessary, repaired. Honda then told its dealerships that if they violate this, they will be required to indemnify Honda for any damages it has to pay to someone injured as a result of the failure to inspect and repair.