Honda owners urged by local dealer to take advantage of airbag replacement event

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Week-long event begins April 9that old City Market, Village Rd.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Honda is recalling approximately 1.2 million vehicles in the region manufactured from 2001 to 2016, due to defective airbags made by airbag manufacturer Takata.

According to U.S. officials, there has been a massive string of recalls for airbags in these vehicles that can hurl fragments of shrapnel when deployed.

Already more than 20 deaths have been recorded due to these defects. Most recently, in the United States, a Honda driver collided with another vehicle which resulted in metal fragments from the deployed airbag pierced her right eye.

Local Honda Service Manager at Nassau Motor Company, James Thompson, issued a warning yesterday to Honda owners which he said is estimated to about 15,000 local motorists.

“The ammonium nitrate on the inside of the airbag cylinder needs to deploy gas out of vent holes, which blows up the bag. In the event the ammonium nitrate degrades, it burns uncontrollably and it overheats the cylinder and the cylinder has the potential to come apart and come through the bag and towards the occupant of the vehicle, injuring them or possibly [causing] death.”

According to Thompson, Takata manufacturers airbags for almost 20 automakers, including Toyota and Ford. Therefore, other local dealerships may also be affected.

“This is a Takata repair. Takata is the manufacturer of these inflators. And so, it is not only Honda that is affected by this. There are 19 other car manufacturers worldwide. Honda is being very aggressive in going after the numbers of vehicles that are affected by them.

“We’ve been doing this for nine years now, but the numbers are escalating. By the end of the year, we estimate 70 million cars will be on the list to have these inflators replaced.”

In an effort to rectify the safety concern, Nassau Motor Company will be holding a free, week-long airbag replacement event starting next week Tuesday at the old City Market complex on the corner of Village and Wulff Roads.

Thompson urges the Honda owners to come to the event as it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you would like to check to see if your vehicle is a part of the recall, please visit http://www.hondabahamas.com/recalls

This article was written by Matthew Moxey – Eyewitness News Online –  Intern

About Matthew Moxey

Matthew Moxey is a broadcast reporter with Eyewitness News and also serves as the station’s morning radio news anchor for 103.5 The Beat. He joined Eyewitness News as an intern, which led to him becoming a full-time broadcast reporter with the news station. Some of his notable work includes his correspondence with international networks such as CNN, FOX and NBC; his reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic; and his live coverage of monster storm Hurricane Dorian.