Arizona reached a $5 million settlement with Honda Motor’s U.S. units Wednesday in an investigation into defective Takata airbag systems, state Attorney General Mark Brnovich said.
The settlement comes after an $85 million settlement declared in August with almost all other U.S. states. Arizona stated the Honda settlement includes $1.65 million in restitution for state costumers, a $2.13 million repair incentive program, $750,000 for consumer outreach, and a $500,000 payment to Arizona.
Defective airbag inflators have been associated with at least 15 U.S. deaths in Honda vehicles, including an August death in Mesa, Arizona in a 2002 Honda Civic. The inflators can explode with excessive force.
The automaker said it had not acknowledged any misconduct as part of the settlement.
The automaker has to date replaced over 16 million defective Takata airbag inflators in its vehicles and over 294 million individual attempts to contact owners and prompt them to have their recalled Takata airbag inflators replaced.
The automaker is providing funding for public service announcements in Arizona to highlight the risk caused by faulty Takata airbag inflators.
Over 15,000 eligible Arizonans, who between September 2012 and November 2015, bought a Honda or Acura vehicle in the state with the Takata airbag subject to recall, will get a $100 check.
Cash-equivalent gift cards of up to $150 will be mailed to approximately 40,000 Arizona customers with a defective airbag inflator, but they can only be activated after consumers take automobiles to a Honda dealership for the free airbag replacement.
Takata pleaded guilty in 2017 to U.S. criminal fraud charges for misleading automakers over the safety of its airbag inflators.
Over 290 injuries connected to defective Takata inflators and at least 26 deaths globally, including two U.S. deaths in Ford vehicles.
