2.2M Hondas, Acuras being recalled for Takata air bag trouble

DETROIT – Honda is recalling another 2.2 million Honda and Acura vehicles because the driver’s air bag inflators made by Takata can explode and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

The recall is a big chunk of the 5 million additional vehicles to be repaired for Takata inflator problems that U.S. safety regulators announced last month.

Honda’s recall includes older model years dating to 2005, but also has some newer vehicles from as recently as the 2015 and 2016 model years.

The recall brings to about 24 million the number of vehicles recalled in the U.S. due to Takata inflator problems that have caused at least 11 deaths and 139 injuries worldwide.

Takata uses ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion that quickly inflates the air bag in a crash. But the chemical can degrade over time when exposed to heat and humidity and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister designed to contain the explosion.

Honda said in a statement Wednesday night that no inflator ruptures of this type have been reported in any of its vehicles.

The company will notify owners by mail and replace the inflators for free with new ones made by manufacturers other than Takata. But parts won’t be available until this summer, the company said.

Honda said it has told dealers to provide loaner cars for free to any customer who asks for one while waiting for replacement parts.

Replacement inflators will be sent to high-humidity areas along the U.S. Gulf Coast first, then to the rest of the country.