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Honda has expanded a previously announced recall of certain 2001 through 2003 model-year Honda and Acura vehicles to include vehicles that may have had the original driver's airbag module replaced with an affected service part. These vehicles were not included in the earlier safety recalls because the driver's airbag modules originally installed in them were not affected by the potential safety issue. However, Honda has now determined that a number of affected service part airbags were installed in these vehicles in the process of a collision repair or other vehicle service. Owners of all potentially affected vehicles are being notified because Honda has not been able to determine which specific vehicles received one of those parts. The replacement driver's airbag inflators in affected vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which can cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury or fatality.

This recall includes certain 2001 and 2002 Accord and Civic, 2002 Odyssey; 2002 and 2003 CR-V, selected 2002 and 2003 Acura 3.2 TL and 2003 Acura 3.2 CL vehicles. To ensure that all 2,430 recalled airbag inflator service parts are replaced, the recall is being expanded to include approximately 833,000 vehicles that may require inspection.

Honda is aware of several incidents related to the earlier recall and expansions, and is announcing this new recall expansion to encourage all owners of included vehicles to take their vehicle to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive mailed notification from Honda. Notification to the expanded group of customers will begin in late May 2011.

The registered owners of the affected vehicles will be notified of this safety recall by mail. If an owner is confident that the driver's airbag in their vehicle never has been replaced, they can inform Honda by signing and returning a postage-paid postcard that will be included with the recall notice. All others are encouraged to have their vehicle inspected by an authorized Honda or Acura dealer.

When Honda identifies concerns of this nature, nothing is more important to the company than fulfilling our obligation and responsibility to alert our customers. To this end, in addition to contacting customers by mail, in late May, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicles require repair by going on-line or calling. Honda owners can go to www.recalls.honda.com or call (800) 999-1009 and select option 4; Acura owners can go to www.recalls.acura.com or call (800) 382-2238 and select option 4.

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