Honda Motor Co Civic recall: Side airbag may fail to deploy as intended

What’s wrong

The front seat back pad mould (seat back cushion) and side airbag (SAB) are fitted to the seat back frame. The SAB is fitted underneath the pad mould and the pad mould has been designed with a slit that allows the SAB to deploy from underneath the pad mould. Seat back pad moulds that were supplied for after-sales use were not manufactured correctly; the slit process was not completed. When a front seat pad without the slit is assembled to the car it may block SAB deployment and may not satisfy occupant protection performance which is a non-conformance to side impact regulation.

The fix

Registered owners of affected vehicles will receive a notification letter that will ask them to take their vehicles to a dealership or authorised repairer for a free repair. The technician will carry out inspection to verify the condition of the front seat back pad mould and will replace the pad mould and if necessary the seat heater element and seat back cover.

Vehicles affected

How to check your vehicle

Use the official DVSA checker with your registration number to see if your exact vehicle is included. If it is, the manufacturer should have written to the registered keeper. The repair is free, even if you bought the vehicle second-hand.

Updated 27 July 2018. This page summarises an official notice. Details can change – always follow the official notice.