Honda has confirmed another death from the rupture of an airbag inflator under recall since 2014 but never repaired.
American Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed the Takata airbag inflator explosion in the July 10 crash in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, caused the death of the driver, the company said Tuesday in a statement.
At least 19 people worldwide have been killed by the airbags made by Takata, which sparked the largest automotive recall ever and led to Takata filing for bankruptcy. A competitor, Key Safety Systems, bought most of the Japanese company’s assets last month.
The 2004 Honda Civic involved in the July crash never received the required repair, and the ruptured Takata inflator found by inspectors in the vehicle was not the original installed.
“The airbag module containing the ruptured inflator was originally installed in a 2002 Honda Civic and is believed to be a salvaged or used part that was installed in this 2004 Civic at an unknown point in its past,” Honda said in its statement.
The company said it has tried to prevent such incidents by searching salvage yards around the country in a two-year effort to “find and secure recalled inflators.” More than 100,000 inflators have been removed from salvage yards, Honda added.
Honda also said it has asked major online auction sites to prohibit and stop the sale of affected airbags.
“The fatality in Louisiana underscores the importance of tracking down all defective Takata airbag inflators,” said an NTSB spokesperson. The agency is urging the public to check to see if their car is under recall by visiting NHTSA.gov/Recalls.
In November, Florida officials warned that heat and humidity increase the odds of the recalled airbags exploding, while urging motorists to get impacted vehicles repaired.