NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA14-004: Inadvertent Side Air Bag Deployment
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA14-004 on July 29, 2014, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE14-004, whose summary cites it, and closed it on January 4, 2016. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2008–2009 Honda Accord for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA14-004 (also written EA14004)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed January 4, 2016
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
- Components
- Air Bags; Air Bags — Side/Window
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2008–2009 Honda Accord
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA14-004.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
Honda is conducting a safety recall of approximately 303,900 model year 2008-2009 Honda Accord sedans to address inadvertent deployment of the side air bags (see NHTSA recall 15V-665 for more information).
It should be noted that almost all of the recalled vehicles are the 2008 Accords (built from start of model year 2008 production to June 25, 2008) as only about 500 early-built 2009 Accords (built from June 24 to June 30, 2008) are included in the recall.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has identified 351 reported incidents of inadvertent side air bag deployments in the 2008 Accord sedans.
This investigation found there is risk of serious injury to vehicle occupants or users who are positioned in the direct path of a deploying side curtain air bag.
Based on the recall action taken by Honda, this Engineering Analysis is closed.
Additional information on this closing resume and the investigation are in the EA14-004 public file available on-line at SaferCar.gov.
The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers:10232206 10235294 10255323 10268158 10268191 10269514 10276755 10279446 10280675 10308292 10319979 10342520 10353536 10408925 10436506 10447151 10458732 10468196 10468200 10493407 10494971 10522291 10524389 10543092 10544473 10545258 10547591 10554073 10563629 10565311 10565423 10576518 10579241 10584501 10585442 10606937 10608973 10627302 10638541 10640968 10650861 10654858 10679518 10680063 10683967 10712981 10717410 10717777 10761860
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA14-004. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Honda
All Honda recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Honda VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA14-004
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.