DETROIT — Honda is recalling more than three quarters of a million vehicles in the U.S. because a faulty sensor may cause the front passenger air bags to inflate when they're not supposed to.
The recall covers certain Honda Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V and Odyssey models from the 2020 through 2022 model years, as well as the 2020 Fit and Civic Coupe. Also included are the 2021 and 2022 Civic hatchback, the 2021 Civic Type R and Insight, and the 2020 and 2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline and Accord Hybrid.
Affected models from the Acura luxury brand include the 2020 and 2022 MDX, the 2020 through 2022 RDX and the 2020 and 2021 TLX.
Documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that the front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, and fail to turn off the air bag as intended. The sensors are required to disable the air bags if children or small adults are in the seats. If that doesn't happen, it increases the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat sensors at no cost to owners. Owners will be notified starting March 18.
Honda says in documents that it has 3,834 warranty claims but no reports of injuries or deaths from the problem between June 30, 2020 and Jan. 19 of this year.
In a separate recall issued in December, more than 2.5 million Honda and Acura vehicles in the U.S. were recalled due to a fuel pump defect that can increase risks of engine failure or stalling while driving.
According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the fuel pump impeller used for in 2017-2020 Acura and Honda vehicles was improperly molded. This results in low-density impellers, which “can deform and interfere with the fuel pump body” over time, regulators said, leading to an inoperative fuel pump.
If the fuel pump module doesn't work, the car's engine may not start or can stall while driving, the NHTSA said, increasing crash and injury risks. Honda says it has not received any crash or injury reports related to this recall to date.