Honda announces millions more airbag recalls

Readers probably have heard about the scandal regarding airbags designed and manufactured by Takata, a Japanese auto parts maker. The airbags can burst with too much force, turning the dashboard into shrapnel that can cause serious injury to people inside the vehicle. At least 10 deaths have been tied to this defect.

As NBC News reports, at least 10 automakers in the U.S. that used Takata airbags have issued recalls, and more than 20 million vehicles have been included so far. Honda and its Acura brand have been among the most affected, with 8.51 million Hondas and Acuras being recalled.

The company has now revealed that 2.2 million more vehicles will be included. Separately, Honda is recalling 341,000 Accords from model years 2008-2010 due to another airbag defect. This defect causes the airbag control modules to be sensitive to water, which can cause the airbags to fail to deploy. At least two people have been known to be injured because of this defect.

Mercedes-Benz has also issued a recall due to the water problem, and a spokesman for Honda expects other manufacturers to follow suit.

Perhaps some of our readers own cars that have been part of one of these recalls. Recalls are supposed to fix auto defects before they injure someone, but as is all to obvious in this case, recalls often do not occur until after people are hurt or killed. Under product liability law, victims and their families can sue manufacturers for their damages.

If you or a loved one has been injured from an airbag deployment or the failure of an airbag to deploy you should contact an attorney to discuss your legal rights.