Honda has issued a new safety recall affecting nearly 100,000 Honda and Acura vehicles in the United States due to a defect that could cause front passenger airbags to deploy when they should remain disabled. The issue is particularly concerning because it could put infants, children, and smaller adults at a greater risk of injury during a crash.
The recall covers a wide range of Honda and Acura models built between 2016 and 2026. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a faulty front passenger seat weight sensor can incorrectly determine whether the airbag should be activated.
Honda says the defect has already generated more than 200 warranty claims, prompting the company to expand an earlier recall launched in 2024.
Owners of affected vehicles will be notified beginning in July and will be able to have the faulty component replaced free of charge.
Airbags May Deploy When They Shouldn’t
Modern passenger airbags rely on seat occupancy sensors to determine whether deployment is appropriate during a crash. If the system detects a child, an infant in a child seat, or a particularly small occupant, it is designed to suppress airbag deployment to reduce the risk of injury.
According to Honda, the problem stems from the front passenger seat weight sensor, which can develop an internal crack and short circuit. If this occurs, the system may incorrectly classify a smaller occupant as a larger adult, allowing the front passenger frontal and knee airbags to deploy when they normally would not.
The defect could increase the risk of injury during a collision, particularly for children and smaller passengers who are more vulnerable to airbag-related forces.
An Unusual Cause Behind The Recall
Honda traced the issue back to a supply chain disruption caused by a natural disaster at the facility of a tier-two supplier. As a result of the disruption, a tier-one supplier changed the base material used in the seat weight sensor’s circuit board.
Honda determined that the alternative material could place additional stress on the printed circuit board, potentially causing a capacitor to crack and create an internal short circuit over time.
The company says this chain of events ultimately led to the faulty sensor condition now being addressed through the recall.
Nearly 100,000 Vehicles Affected
The recall impacts 98,892 vehicles across both Honda and Acura brands. Affected models include:
- 2018-2021 and 2023 Acura TLX
- 2019-2024 Acura RDX
- 2017-2020 and 2022-2026 Acura MDX
- 2017-2021, 2023, and 2025 Honda Ridgeline
- 2017-2022 Honda Pilot
- 2019-2021 Honda Passport
- 2018-2026 Honda Odyssey
- 2019-2022 Honda Insight
- 2019-2021 Honda HR-V
- 2018-2020 Honda Fit
- 2020-2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid
- 2017-2022 Honda CR-V
- 2017-2018 and 2021 Honda Civic Type R
- 2017-2021 Honda Civic Hatchback
- 2016-2020 Honda Civic Coupe
- 2016-2022 Honda Civic
- 2017-2022 Honda Accord Hybrid
- 2016-2022 Honda Accord
This latest action expands a much larger recall announced in February 2024 that involved more than 750,000 Honda and Acura vehicles affected by the same defect. With this expansion, the total number of vehicles recalled for the issue now approaches 850,000 units.
What Owners Should Do
Honda will begin mailing notification letters to affected owners by July 6, 2026. Dealers will replace the defective seat weight sensor with an updated component at no cost to customers.
In the meantime, Honda advises owners to pay attention to warning signs such as an illuminated SRS warning light or a passenger airbag indicator that remains off unexpectedly.
As an added precaution, children, infants in child seats, and smaller adults should continue to ride in the rear seats whenever possible.
Owners can also verify whether their vehicle is included in the recall by checking their Vehicle Identification Number through Honda, Acura, or the NHTSA recall database once the information becomes available.
Another Airbag Recall For Honda
This marks the second significant airbag-related recall for Honda this year. Earlier in 2026, the automaker recalled approximately 440,000 Odyssey minivans after discovering that side airbags could deploy unexpectedly following severe road impacts.
While modern airbag systems have saved countless lives over the years, increasingly sophisticated occupant detection systems have introduced new failure points that can create safety risks when components malfunction.
Honda’s latest recall serves as another reminder that even advanced safety technologies depend on precise sensor performance to operate as intended. For affected owners, the fix is relatively straightforward, but it remains an important repair that should not be delayed.