Honda Motor's US units to pay $85-M to settle probe over defective airbags

Honda Motor Co affiliates have agreed to pay $85 million to settle an investigation by most US states into its use of defective Takata airbag inflators in its vehicles.

Honda of America and American Honda Motor Co also agreed to upgrade their product safety procedures related to frontal airbags, including the reduction of rupture risks in the inflators.

The Honda affiliates also agreed to the consent order without admitting wrongdoing, to avoid the cost of further litigation.

Honda had reached civil settlements with 46 US states, Washington, DC, and three US territories over the matter.

The probes are connected with the ongoing recalls of the now over 40 million Honda vehicles equipped with 60 million defective Takata airbags that were sold over the past 20 years.

The airbags have been recalled because the inflators can explode when deployed.

At least 25 deaths and nearly 300 injuries globally have been linked to faulty Takata inflators.

The recalls cover about 100 million inflators among 19 major automakers, including Honda.

In January, Honda announced it would recall an additional 2.7 million older US vehicles in North America covering the 1996 through 2003 model years.

Since 2008, Honda has recalled nearly 13 million U.S. vehicles equipped with Takata inflators and has replaced more than 16 million inflators.

A multistate group of attorneys general had been investigating Honda’s use of Takata airbags since December 2015, according to the consent order.