Honda confirms Takata driver's air-bag inflater ruptured

PETALING JAYA: The car involved in a crash in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, where an air-bag inflater ruptured and killed the driver, was not sent for the necessary repairs despite being requested to do so by the manufacturer.
"Three mailed recall notices related to those recalls were sent to the owner. Our records indicate that the recall repair was never completed," Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd said in a statement today.
Honda confirmed that the Takata single stage (SDI) driver's air-bag inflater ruptured in the crash and pierced the woman in the chest.
Her 2005 Honda City steering wheel air-bag activated during a minor accident with a Mercedes Benz in Uptown Kota Damansara.
Honda said since 2015 the vehicle in the crash has been included in both driver's air-bag inflater and passenger's air-bag inflater recalls.
The company added the vehicle involved in the crash was included in a Malaysian Product Update (recall) announced on May 21 last year requiring replacement of the SDI inflater of the driver's front air-bag.
"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family of the driver during this difficult time," the statement added.
Honda said they are in the midst of communicating with representatives of the driver's family in an effort to resolve their remaining concerns.
Honda urged owners of Honda vehicles affected by the air-bag inflater product recall to get their vehicles repaired at authorised dealers as soon as possible.
During the incident, the woman's 22-year-old niece was seated in the front passenger seat while her two sons, aged nine and 12, were at the back.
They escaped unscathed.
Last Thursday, Honda recalled 147,894 units of Honda vehicles manufactured in the year 2003 to 2011 to replace the front passenger air-bag inflater.
The vehicle models involved in this recall are Accord (2003-2011 year of manufacture), City (2009-2011 YM), Civic (2007-2011 YM), CR-V (2008-2011 YM), Freed (2009-2011 YM), Insight (2011 YM), Jazz (2009-2011 YM) and Odyssey (2004-2008 YM).