Honda recalls more vehicles over airbag issue, but none in North America

(July 9, 2015) TOKYO — Honda has added 4.5 million more vehicles to recalls involving Takata Corp. airbags, Bloomberg News reported today. The recall includes Fit small cars and CR-V crossovers in Japan. The automaker is still compiling details on models affected in other markets. North America is not included in this latest recall, Honda said.

The latest recall is the first under President Takahiro Hachigo, who replaced Takanobu Ito this month after a tenure plagued by quality missteps. Honda has now called back about 24.5 million vehicles to replace Takata airbags.

The expanding recall toll, which Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. widened last mo
nth, shows how carmakers are struggling to come to grips with the extent of Takata's problems. Today's recall is an expansion of the 4.8 million Honda vehicles affected by a preventative recall on May 14, Takata said.

The company's airbags can rupture during deployment and spray metal and plastic at passengers. At least eight deaths, all of them in Honda vehicles, have been linked to the defective airbags.