Honda recalled nearly 4,000 model year 2001 Honda Civic and Honda Accord cars for a safety defect in its driver air bags.  The chemicals inside the driver air bag inflator caused excessive internal pressure during deployment, which could cause the inflator to rupture.  A ruptured inflator could cause metal chunks to slice through the fabric air bag and hit the consumer.  Obviously, this defect would not only prevent the air bag from properly protecting you, but could also cause injuries, including injuries to your eyes and face.

Honda received claim information and photographs in June 2007 related to this issue, but closed that claim about three months later.  However, four months after that, it began an investigation to identify specific lots of air bag inflator propellant that was suspect.  (A “lot” of inflator propellant is a batch of the chemicals internal to the air bag inflator that is burned to produce the gas that inflates an air bag.)

In September 2008, Honda inspected a vehicle which showed signs of an unusual deployment, apparently confirming their prior suspicion of improperly manufactured air bag inflators.  Honda finally notified the government in November 2008 that it would be conducting this recall on its Honda Civic and Honda Accord models.

The government’s recall number is 08V-593.