Check your dashboard: Honda recalls nearly 100,000 vehicles over airbag defect

If you drive a Honda Accord, Civic, or CR-V, you may have a reason to take a quick look at your VIN.American Honda Motor Co.has issued a safety recall for nearly 100,000 vehicles across its Honda and Acura lineups due to a component defect that can cause the front passenger airbags to deploy at full force during a crash, even when a child or infant seat is in that position.

The best way to find pending recalls for your Honda or Acura vehicle is to visit the free database maintained by NHTSA.Simply enter your VIN number on that website to see everything specific to your Honda or Acura vehicle to date.Your VIN number (17 characters) is easily accessed in one of three places: near the lower portion of your windshield and dashboard on the driver’s side, on your registration card, or on your insurance card.

Here is a quick rundown of what this recall covers and which Honda and Acura makes and models are affected.Honda’s latest action is part of a broader wave of recalls in June 2026 covering vehicles from multiple automakers.The issue with the occupant classification system Expansion of a 2024 recall This Honda recall centers on the vehicle's occupant classification system, which is designed to protect children and smaller passengers from the force of airbag deployment.

According to documents filed with NHTSA, a hardware defect can override this failsafe.Modern vehicles use weight sensors embedded in the front passenger seat cushion to determine who, or what, is sitting there.If the sensor detects the weight of an infant in a child seat, a toddler, or even an animal like a dog, it disables the passenger-side frontal and knee airbags.

In the affected Honda and Acura vehicles, a capacitor on the weight sensor's printed circuit board can crack over time when exposed to humidity.If the capacitor cracks, it creates an internal short circuit, causing the system to fail to suppress the airbag.As a result, if the Honda or Acura vehicle in question was involved in a collision, the front passenger airbags can deploy with full force, increasing the risk of injury to smaller occupants.

According to Honda's report to federal regulators, the defect traces back to a natural disaster at a secondary supplier facility.The primary supplier switched the base material used for the printed circuit boards without adequate testing.The substitute material subjected the board to excessive physical strain, ultimately causing the capacitor to crack.

This latest recall from Honda is also an expansion of a previous 2024 seat sensor recall.Honda widened the pool after discovering data gaps and tracking errors from the supplier regarding when the defective components were used.Related Your car might have an open safety recall—here’s how to check Checking only takes a moment.

Posts By  Carl Anthony Which vehicles are included Sedans, trucks, and SUVs alike The recall spans 23 different model-and-year combinations from 2016 through 2026.The following Honda and Acura models are affected: Honda Civic: 2016–2022 (Sedan), 2016–2020 (Coupe), 2017–2021 (Hatchback) Honda Civic Type R: 2017–2018, 2021 Honda Accord: 2016–2022 Honda Accord Hybrid: 2017–2022 Honda CR-V: 2017–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid: 2020–2022 Honda Odyssey: 2018–2026 Honda Pilot: 2017–2022 Honda Ridgeline: 2017–2021 (Note: 2023 and 2025 model years also include a single vehicle each due to a service part tracking error).Honda HR-V: 2019–2021 Honda Passport: 2019–2021 Honda Insight: 2019–2022 Honda Fit: 2018–2020 Acura MDX: 2017–2020, 2022–2026 Acura RDX: 2019–2024 Acura TLX: 2018–2021, 2023 How to spot the failure and get it fixed As of May 2026, Honda has identified 228 warranty claims tied to this defect.

The automaker has reported no injuries or fatalities resulting from the issue, and there is no "Do Not Drive" restriction associated with this recall at this time.If you own one of the vehicles listed above, there may be two warning signs to look for that the sensor has shorted out: The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag warning light illuminates on your dashboard.The "Passenger Airbag Off" indicator light on the center console remains unlit even when the passenger seat is empty or occupied by a child.

As part of the recall, Honda and Acura dealers will replace the sensors with redesigned components that use the original, verified circuit board material.Honda plans to begin mailing official notification letters to registered owners on July 6th, 2026.Because the vehicles listed above have already been loaded into the federal database, there is no need to wait for the letter.

You can use the NHTSA recalls lookup page or the Honda owners portal by typing in your VIN to confirm whether your vehicle is listed under the recall.All recall repairs will be performed free of charge by any authorized Honda or Acura dealer and can be scheduled alongside other routine service work.You do not have to be the original owner of the vehicle in order to have recall work done.

Likewise, recall work is performed at no charge, even if the factory warranty has expired.

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