Ohio Settles Lawsuit Accusing Honda Of Selling Defective Airbags

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio has settled a multistate lawsuit against Honda accusing the company of concealing safety issues with a defective airbag system.

“I’d never buy a car if I knew systems meant to save me and my family could actually hurt us,” Ohio Attorney Genearl Dave Yost said. “That is what Honda denied Ohio consumers – the chance to make the best decisions for their families. This agreement will ensure that doesn’t happen again.”

The settlement between Honda and the attorneys general of 48 states, including Yost of Ohio, concludes the investigation into the company's airbag systems. Yost's office said they believed frontal airbags in some Hondas faced a significant risk of rupture, which could send metal fragments flying into the passenger compartments of vehicles.

The airbags were designed and manufactured for Honda by a supplier called Takata Corporation.

Yost and other state attorneys general argued Honda engineers suspected the airbags could burst, yet the car company delayed warning customers and safety officials. Since 2008, Honda has recalled approximately 12.9 million Honda and Acura vehicles with suspect inflators, Yost's office said.

Honda denied any wrongdoing related to the airbags.

The ruptures resulted in 14 deaths and 200 injuries in the U.S., Yost's office said.

Ohio and other states settled with Honda for more than $85 million. Ohio will receive $2.3 million from the settlement.

The settlement also includes mandatory steps Honda must take, including:

• Ensure future airbag designs includ "fail-safe" features
• Adopt changes to the procurement process for front airbags
  • Ensure suppliers have appropriate industry certifications and meet key industry performance standards
• Implement procedures designed to prevent tragedies
• Stop misleading advertisements and point-of-sale representations
• Improve risk management, quality control, supplier oversight, training and certifications and implement mandatory whistleblower protections

A Honda spokesperson provided the following statement to Patch:

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has reached civil settlements with state attorneys general from 46 states, 3 U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia that resolve their inquiries over its use of defective Takata airbag inflators.

The now-bankrupt airbag inflator supplier, Takata, pleaded guilty in 2017 to federal criminal fraud charges for deceiving Honda and other automakers about the safety of its airbags. Under the terms of these civil settlements, Honda does not acknowledge any wrongdoing.

Honda continues to lead the industry in its efforts to replace defective Takata airbag inflators. The company has thus far replaced more than 16 million defective Takata airbag inflators in its vehicles and made more than 292 million individual attempts to contact owners and urge them to have their recalled Takata airbag inflators replaced.

As part of these civil settlements, Honda will implement enhanced safety measures it began to develop after learning of Takata’s fraud, including more-rigorous scrutiny and oversight over its suppliers of frontal airbag inflators. Additionally, Honda will provide the states with prompt information when Honda learns of any new ruptures of defective Takata airbag inflators in the United States.