The problem
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in California, and equipped with Takata-brand air bag inflators. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
The risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Recall details
| NHTSA campaign | 14V-353 (14V353000) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer number | JH6,JH7,JH8,JH9,JJ0 |
| Manufacturer | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| Component | Air bags |
| Report date | June 20, 2014 |
| Owners notified | September 12, 2014 |
| Vehicles affected | 133,207 |
| Initiated by | Manufacturer |
Vehicles covered
- 2003 Acura MDX
- 2004 Acura MDX
- 2005 Acura MDX
- 2005 Acura RL
- 2003 Honda Accord
- 2004 Honda Accord
- 2005 Honda Accord
- 2003 Honda Civic
- 2004 Honda Civic
- 2005 Honda Civic
- 2003 Honda CR-V
- 2004 Honda CR-V
- 2005 Honda CR-V
- 2003 Honda Element
- 2004 Honda Element
- 2003 Honda Odyssey
- 2004 Honda Odyssey
- 2003 Honda Pilot
- 2004 Honda Pilot
- 2005 Honda Pilot
- 2006 Honda Ridgeline
Owner complaints about the air bags
- 2003 Acura MDX airbag problems 42
- 2004 Acura MDX airbag problems 26
- 2005 Acura MDX airbag problems 39
- 2005 Acura RL airbag problems 36
- 2003 Honda Accord airbag problems 318
- 2004 Honda Accord airbag problems 251
- 2005 Honda Accord airbag problems 209
- 2003 Honda Civic airbag problems 140
- 2004 Honda Civic airbag problems 133
- 2005 Honda Civic airbag problems 129
- 2003 Honda CR-V airbag problems 125
- 2004 Honda CR-V airbag problems 103
Frequently asked questions
Is the recall 14V-353 repair free?
Yes. Acura dealers will fix the problem at no cost: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
How do I know if my car is included?
Not every vehicle of the listed model years is affected — the recall covers 133,207 vehicles built in a certain window. Check your 17-character VIN with our VIN recall check or at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.