Automakers Recall 2.1 Million Vehicles Due to Faulty Air Bags

Victor Emond/iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The National Highway Traffic Administration announced on Saturday that 2.1 million vehicles from model years 2002 to 2004 have been recalled for an airbag defect.

The agency said the latest recall involves Acura, Dodge, Jeep, Honda, Pontiac and Toyota vehicles that have already been recalled for the same problem.  

The head of NHTSA, Mark Rosekind, said on Saturday that original attempts to fix the defects proved ineffective in some cases, saying nearly 40 air bags that had been replaced under the previous recall had deployed inadvertently again.  

“This is unfortunately a complicated issue for consumers, who may have to return to their dealer more than once,” Rosekind said in a statement. “But this is an urgent safety issue, and all consumers with vehicles covered by the previous recalls should have that remedy installed. Even though it’s a temporary solution until the new remedy is available, they and their families will be safer if they take the time to learn if their vehicle is covered and follow their manufacturers’ instructions. A hassle is much better than a family tragedy.”

The new recalls cover 2.12 million Acura MDX, Dodge Viper, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda Odyssey, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix and Toyota Avalon models made in the early 2000s.

The vehicles were subject to earlier recalls to address a problem with an electronic component manufactured by TRW that caused some airbags to deploy inadvertently.

Due to the dangers involved in an inadvertent deployment, and because some of the vehicles involved may also have defective Takata airbags, NHTSA is urging consumers who were covered by the original recalls to take their vehicles to their local dealer for the original repairs.

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