New airbag recall list released; check again

A new recall released this week is important for owners of some Honda and Acura vehicles with malfunctioning Takata airbags.

“Among Honda and Acura vehicles, some of the replacements are actually defective,” said Heidi King, Deputy Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “That means for drivers of certain Honda and Acura vehicles, some folks may have already replaced their defective air bag and they need to check and see whether they need to do that again.”

The replacement will be free. You can find out if you need to replace your airbag online.

“They can go to our website, NHTSA.gov/recalls or they can call their local dealership,” said King.

Even if you normally get your car serviced at an independent shop, your dealership is still obligated to fix any open recalls for free.

“A driver or an owner can also enter their e-mail address and get on a mailing list,” said King. “When there’s a new recall, they can get a heads-up and they can go get that fixed for free to keep their car safe.”

Manufacturers are also required to send postcards to owner’s addresses, but since a lot of people don’t regularly check their mailboxes, e-mail is sometimes a better way to get the word out.