Connecticut has helped secure a more than $85 million multistate settlement with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and Honda of America Mfg., Inc. (collectively “Honda”), over allegations Honda concealed safety issues related to defects in the frontal airbag systems installed in certain Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the United States. The systems were designed and manufactured by Takata Corporation, a long-time Honda supplier, and were first installed in Honda vehicles in the 2001 model year.

Connecticut will receive $2,362,819.71 under the settlement. Honda estimates that the faulty airbags in question were used in approximately 223,578 vehicles in Connecticut.

The settlement, reached between the attorneys general of 48 states and jurisdictions and Honda, concludes a multistate investigation into Honda’s alleged failure to inform regulators and consumers of that the frontal airbags posed a significant risk of rupture, which could cause metal fragments to fly into the passenger compartments of many Honda and Acura vehicles. The ruptures have resulted in at least 14 deaths and over 200 injuries in the United States alone.

“Honda’s deception and failure to notify the public about the dangers of its vehicle airbags resulted in the tragic and preventable deaths of 14 people and over 200 injuries across the country. Consumer protection laws exist to save lives, and my office will aggressively pursue any corporation that puts profits ahead of the safety of the people of Connecticut. Many of these vehicles are still on the road today, and I strongly urge all drivers to visit safercar.gov to check for any open recalls. These repairs are free and help ensure the safety of all who share our roads,” said Attorney General Tong. “The Connecticut Office of the Attorney General routinely leads some of the largest multistate investigations and settlements to protect consumers across the country. I want to thank the attorneys in our office who led this case and helped to reach this major settlement.”

“Every business should make the safety of their customers a priority,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull. “Safety defects in motor vehicles are especially important because of the potential level of danger to consumers.  Defects should be disclosed and remedied as fully and as quickly as possible. I’m pleased that this case has been settled, that families will be protected from this defect, and that Honda will be implementing better quality control mechanisms going forward.”

The states have alleged that Honda engineers suspected that the airbags’ propellant, ammonium nitrate, could burn aggressively and cause the inflator to burst. Despite these concerns, Honda delayed warning consumers or automobile safety officials, even as it began partial recalls of affected vehicles in 2008 and 2009.  Further, Honda continued to represent to consumers that its vehicles, including its airbags, were safe.  Since 2008, Honda has recalled approximately 12.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with the suspect inflators.

The states have alleged that Honda’s actions, or perhaps more accurately, its failures to act, as well as its misrepresentations about the safety of its vehicles, were unfair and deceptive, and that Honda’s conduct violated state consumer protection laws, including the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Under the terms of the consent judgment, which will be filed with Hartford Superior Court, Honda has agreed to strong injunctive relief which, among other things, require it:

• To take steps to ensure that future airbag designs include “fail-safe” features to protect passengers in the event the inflator ruptures.
• To adopt changes to its procurement process for new frontal airbags, to ensure that its suppliers have the appropriate industry certifications and satisfy key industry performance standards, as well as improve record-keeping and parts tracking.
• To implement recurrence prevention procedures designed to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again, such as requiring that Honda approve all new frontal airbag designs before the company will consider them for use in new Honda vehicles.
• To abide by prohibitions on misleading advertisements and point of sale representations regarding the safety of Honda’s vehicles, including the airbags.
• To make improvements in critical areas such as risk management, quality control, supplier oversight, training and certifications, and implementing mandatory whistleblower protections.

The multistate group – led by Connecticut, South Carolina, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, and Texas – includes Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Consumers who own a Honda or Acura vehicle are strongly encouraged to visit Honda’s airbag recall website at https://hondaairbaginfo.com or call its Customer Service toll-free number at (888) 234-2138, to see if their vehicle is subject to a recall. Consumers may also check for open recalls by going to Safercar.gov. All safety recall repairs are FREE at authorized Honda dealers.

Consumers can also contact the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General at attorney.general@ct.gov or 860-808-5318 with any questions about this settlement.

Assistant Attorneys General Brendan Flynn and Michael Wertheimer, head of the Consumer Protection Department, assisted the Attorney General in this case.