CARS.COM — Honda has confirmed that a Takata airbag inflator ruptured in a fatal collision last week in Florida. The driver of a 2002 Accord was killed, marking what may be the 13th Takata airbag-linked death in the U.S. and 19th worldwide.
Related: Ford Resists New Takata Recall, Honda Death Reported
A 34-year-old woman was killed in a collision with another car on July 19 in Holiday, Fla. An official cause of death has not yet been announced, but the failure of the airbag inflator has been confirmed and investigation of the crash continues, according to the Associated Press, which reported that three other occupants of the Accord suffered only minor injuries.
Honda said it had sent 21 recall notices to owners of this Accord, which was recalled for the inflator in 2011 — including 10 sent to the current registered owners — but it has no record of any recall repairs being done. The Honda statement also said the company tried "numerous times" to contact the owners by email and phone. The 2002 Accord involved is among a group of 2001-03 Honda and Acura vehicles that have been identified as posing the greatest airbag risk by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Last week, officials in Australia linked a death there to a ruptured Takata inflator.
Takata airbag inflator propellant can degrade over time with exposure to heat and humidity and then explode with too much force, spewing shrapnel into the cabin. All Takata inflators with a desiccant, or drying agent, to protect the propellant are being recalled in the U.S., in phases, in the largest auto safety recall ever, covering 64 million to 69 million inflators in 42 million vehicles by 2020. Recently, Takata also recalled 2.7 million inflators with a desiccant.
Honda in its statement emphasized that it has sufficient parts to repair all recalled inflators. It urged owners of recalled vehicles to get them fixed as soon as possible, particularly owners of the 2001-03 vehicles identified as being at greatest risk. Owners can get more information on the recall status of their car here.
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